Web is natural space for 'lead generation of young people'

Young people spend most of their time online which makes it the perfect place to market to them, according to a Nike representative.

The web is the world that young people inhabit, so it is the logical place for successful lead generation, according to sports company Nike.

Ed Elworthy, head of branch connections in UK and Ireland at the organisation, stated that in order to successfully market to youngsters, businesses need to understand the internet and the way that they use it.

He pointed out that many advertisers talk about a split between online and offline marketing, but that young people generally reside on the former rather than the latter.

Mr Elworthy explained: "It's more about approaching them in their space as opposed to dragging them to our space. I think that's a macro trend that's happening."

Last month, Symantec released a study of the top 100 search terms used by young people and it included social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace, although both "sex" and "porn" made it into the top ten.

01/10/2009