Look Look

Marketing Chapter Five Case Study 5.2

1. How does Look-Look use technology to gain insights on the teen and young adult markets?

Lee and Gordon felt the that younger people themselves were not given a very large part in the to play in the market research process, even though they were in the best situation to give complete accurate information about youth trends. So they created an internet communication system and enlisted young people to provide up to date information, right from them source. 35,000 handpicked youths, from all over the world to give information to Look-Look Company. Youth telling about their styles, trends, opinions, and ideas, the better way, by going directly to the real source. The youth that are recruited by peers through the viral network, become marketing researchers: survey respondents, field correspondents, and photo journalist. Then researchers’ assembled data to an online database, gives subscribers access and allowing communicating to correspondent too. Youth can also find the results to polls and survey, uncovering the latest information. Lee and Gordon believe that the full understanding of the youth culture is to be in constant dialogue with the young people. No longer a once or twice a year focus group or the traditional market research. Look-Look also engages with social networking blog and MySpace, as well as the Team Look-Look, their own online community; it contains 3 sections called Think, Speak, and Do. Every section can be used by the company to collect and use for market research information. That information gives Look-Look an in-depth view of what young people like to do and as well as how they are putting it out there, so others to see it.

2. Why does Look-Look focus on trendsetters when they represent only 20 percent of the youth population?

That twenty percent influence the other eighty percent; these trendsetters are forward thinking innovators who influence their peers. Teens trust their friends by what they are doing. “If that many youth are doing "IT” then it can’t be all that bad.” Some parent involvement may be part of this too; we must please the teen, which comes with “Guilt Money.” By selecting young people from all over the world; telling about their styles, trends, opinions, and ideas, gives the youth population access to what their friends or the youth miles away is thinking or doing. Today’s teens being involved with technology and having the access to the information about other teens, moves so rapidly. I also imagine that paying the younger people for giving their input to Look-Look, may give those young folks the thought of an easy way to make money.

3. Beside the companies mentioned above, would you recommend Look-Look contact to potentially engage as clients?

Look-Look would be the ideal tool to use in a researching the trends of young people. Look-Look has successfully established the way to access the age group of 14 to 30 years olds. In the marketing world we need to know the trends and thoughts of this age group, so we can approach the youth; knowing so much prior to the contact. I would use Look-Look in my process of selling. In my Mkt 160, Principles of Selling class, my product, a biodegradable, waterproof paper sleeves from Papernomad, using Look-Look would be a great tool to know the trend of youth and their electronic devices. So “Cool Hunters” - those who track down the latest cool trends in teen life, can make a lot of money marketing their expertise to companies marketing to the teens. Information on what is "cool" can be used to create products that will reflect back exactly what the kids will want.