Issue 9, vol. 2 - April 2006

While young Canadians spend a lot of their time working and studying, they are also incredibly social. In their spare time, over 60% of 9 to 13-year-olds are hanging out with friends, with just 5% hanging out alone. Girls are equally likely to spend that time with one friend as they are with a group of friends. Boys seem to be much more comfortable in groups of friends than one on one. It's probably no surprise that girls are more social than boys.

So what are youth doing in their social time? While Canadian movie theatres have seen drops in attendance over the past few years, going to the movies is still rated as one of the top activities that young Canadians like to do with one friend or with a group of friends. And after staying home to watch a DVD and going out for dinner, going to a movie is the third most popular activity for dates at least by girls. Guys are less likely than girls to attend the movies for any social occasion.

Despite efforts by some modern parents to raise their kids in a politically correct and gender neutral environment, there are clear distinctions between social activities among boys and girls. Let's first look at tweens. Most youth in their tween years like to do physical activities, but beyond that, boys and girls really like to do different things with their friends. For boys, it's all about video games; while for girls, going to the movies or the mall are still favourites.

Teen and young adult guys lose some (just some) interest in video games, while gaining interest in movie-going. Playing video games is still a top activity for those who hang out mostly with one friend, but becomes less the choice for a social activity when the “guys get together. Males aged 14 to 29 are almost twice as likely to play sports or do another physical activity with their group of friends as females of the same age.

While dates still primarily take place at a restaurant or movie theatre, or even just staying home with their companion to watch a DVD, almost 40% liked to do a physical activity or sport with their significant other. An equal percent indicated they liked to go camping with their girlfriend or boyfriend. And nearly a quarter liked to play video games with their partner. What's more romantic than a finishing kick to your boyfriend in a round of Tekken or cutting off your girlfriend's car in a race of Gran Turismo?

So while much of Canadian youth's time is spent at school or work, they still have time to have fun. Whether it's singing karaoke or going bowling or just hanging out with friends at home, young people are getting time away from homework and cyberspace to socialize with their friends.

Movies can make a great platform for marketers trying to reach youth this summer. With a huge list of giant blockbusters planned to hit the theatres over the upcoming weeks, and with even more of them hitting as DVDs shortly after their theatrical release, the rest of 2006 is looking like a great year to leverage movies as a means to reaching youth. Studios and distribution giants like Alliance Atlantis, Warner Bros, and Universal Pictures, are all great companies to work with on partnership promotions. And depending on the movie title and what you need for your promotion, you can often work out great media value for your brand with these partnerships at a very reasonable price. With brand inclusion opportunities that include co-promotions on movie advertising, DVD on-pack promotions, and on-screen media, marketers have more opportunities then ever in making their brand resonate with entertainment marketing. Want to know exactly how to do it? Give Youthography a call.