Teen girls today are influential social connectors who seek out information about brands from a wide range of sources and share that information frequently in their social circles, using a mix of face-to-face interaction and social media, according to a study by Varsity Brands and the Ketchum Global Research Network.
Friendships play a big role in girls' purchasing decisions: 77% of surveyed teen girls say they are influenced by the purchases of their friends and 73% of girls who like a brand will recommend it to their friends.
Teen girls are loyal to brands, and say they take the following actions if they like a brand:
- Buy another product by the same brand: 69%
- Recommend the brand online: 48%
- Follow or become a fan of the brand on a social networking site: 30%
- Share links about the brand: 17%
Below, other findings from the study Teen Girls: Influence, Involvement and Empowerment, by Varsity Brands and the Ketchum Global Research Network.
Sources of Influence
After their friends, fashion magazines (68%), advertisements (58%), and company websites (44%) are teen girls' primary sources of information about products and brands.
Though ads and brand websites provide teens with information, they're not viewed as influencers: 19% of teen girls say ads are "very influential" in their decisions to buy clothing and footwear, and only 21% say brands' websites are.
Some 71% of teen girls say online posts influence their purchasing decisions. Among other sources that influence purchasing, teen girls cite the following:
- Peers: 45%
- Fashion magazines: 32%
- Consumer reviews: 23%
- Celebrities:14%
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Brand Evangelists
