Coffee and Tweens The Edmonton Journal, July, 2004 North America's leading coffee merchants are working to capture the imagination -- and the disposable income -- of teens and tweens without infantilizing cafe culture or raising the ire of caffeine-concerned health watchdogs. "It's not like the decks are stacked against the coffee industry in terms of marketing to kids," says Mike Farrell, a partner in the Canadian youth-trend consultant group Youthography. "But I do think they're going to have to approach it cautiously or they'll find themselves in a nightmare PR fiasco." Almost one quarter of youth aged 12 to 17 consume coffee or tea on a daily basis, according to an article in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. "Caffeinated drink consumption may be a marker for dietary and lifestyle practices that together influence blood pressure," states the report, which called for further research because of rising rates of adolescent hypertension. But don't expect the soundtrack at your local coffee shop to switch from Muddy Waters to Hilary Duff anytime soon. "The reason we haven't seen too much hype is because of the stigma that coffee is something for adults," says Mr. Farrell. Nonetheless, he predicts, "it's only a matter of time before the marketing catches up with the trend." For now, purveyors of java culture are tapping into the teen customer base in less conspicuous ways than traditional advertising might allow. Mr. Farrell says Starbucks' Hear Music initiative, which features compilation CDs of artists such as Beck, Sarah Harmer and The Shins, is a perfect example of the direction coffee marketing is headed. Although the company doesn't track demographics, Starbucks spokesman Alan Hilowitz says considerable growth in the company's non-coffee and sweeter coffee drinks is due in part to their appeal to "the younger set." Passionteas, steamed milk with flavour shots, frappuccinos, and caramel macchiatos-- a favourite of pop tart Britney Spears -- are among the hottest sellers. Likewise, Mr. Farrell notes the explosion of soy-based drinks and iced coffees, such as The Second Cup's "frrrozen" soy hot chocolate and Tim Hortons' iced cappuccinos, can be traced back to teens. But the burgeoning drink menus aren't necessarily what's behind this new generation of coffee-house customers. "In the past five years, the cafe has become a real socio-cultural nexus point for teens and some tweens," says Mr. Farrell. "(Going for coffee) is like trying on a new lifestyle in the guise of something that could be construed as mildly subversive, especially the younger you get." Suzanne Brown, a coffee-marketing specialist for Brown Marketing Communications, says Canadians should start seeing signs of more youth-oriented campaigns this summer. Although the hot target will be the 17-to-24 set, she notes kids as young as 12 also want a piece of cafe culture. "This is the market we're going after, younger and younger," Ms. Brown says. "Those in high school or upper grades want the caffeine effect, while the younger ones like the froufrou -- from the sprinkles to the chocolate shavings." Mark Prince, senior editor of Vancouver-based Coffeegeek.com, says his socially conscious site has a number of young members who can wax poetic about coffee as competently as any professional. One in particular, a 16-year-old known as Eric N., is such a connoisseur that the teen owns an espresso machine and lists "roasting coffee" as a hobby. "There has always been this stigma that young people shouldn't drink coffee because of the caffeine content," Mr. Prince says. "But I see how much Coca-Cola kids pound back and I'd say the average 12-year-old probably has more caffeine a day than I do. "Which is kind of scary."