Just How Big Is The Teen Market? And Who Is Winning It? (Nike, HP, Sony)

Habbo an international online virtual world for teenagers with (according to their own numbers) 135 million registered viewers recently released its Global Habbo Youth Survey Update 2009. The survey incorporates data from 112,000 teenagers across thirty different countries (ages 11-19) about their favorite brands. Following is a list of these brands for your viewing enlightenment, but first, let's take a look at the buying power of teenagers in the US to underscore the relevance.

According to a 2004 article entitled "Driving teen egos--and buying--through branding," teens influence 600 billion dollars worth of spending every year in the US, and a 2008 study by the market research firm Harris Interactive called "Youth Pulse" (pdf) posits that teens have a literal purchasing power of 132 billion dollars annuallythat "the influence they exert on their families' purchase decisions is enormous." (Which is not necessarily news to many reading this.)

Wow. To think that today's teens with their hyper-solvency could have single-handedly bailed out AIG.

Here's the list:

Electronics
Sony
Apple
Nintendo
Samsung
Hewlett Packard

Websites
Girls | Boys
YouTube | YouTube
Facebook | Facebook

Clothing
Girls | Boys
H&M | Nike
Zara | Adidas

Shoes
Girls | Boys
Converse | Nike
Nike | Converse

Sportswear
Girls | Boys
Nike | Nike
Adidas | Adidas

Personal hygiene
Girls | Boys
Nivea | Axe
L'Oreal | Nivea

It's interesting to note that according to CNET News Sony started to develop its marketing strategies specifically for capturing the online hive mind of the teen market as far back as pre-2K. Looks like it's paid off for them.

And by the way, don't worry if your brand isn't on today's top teen fave list" in today's hyper-faddish, jump-cut culture, it'll probably change again by tomorrow.