The Chicago Tribune found a a group of people who have been missing for months: 18- to 34-year-old men. Well, they have been missing from network TV-watching, to the tune of a 21% drop in viewing this last fall. This narrow band of young men is the most coveted demographic by big advertisers because they’re usually the first to buy most products. Theoretically, they have the most money to spend, too.
In a quest to understand what these men really want, the Tribune chatted with a group of them and discussed loyalty to companies, media habits, and what influences them:
- They like to discover new, little-known products, music, etc. themselves vs. seeing them advertised on TV.
- They distrust mainstream media. Many would rather get news from independent web sites.
- They rely on word of mouth to learn about products or websites.
Customer Evangelists