HANDS ON - Editor's Letter
Targeting Teens

In this month's issue, we talk about building business with kids.

But what about teens? While most of us who have raised any might want to forget a few of those years, the collective spending power of America's 30 million teens can't be ignored. It's greater than the gross national products of Finland, Greece, and Portugal.

Though getting through to them can be tough (climbing Mt. Everest could be easier), here are a few marketing morsels that may help.

Skeptical. Think out of the box. According to a study by Packaged Facts, teens are skeptical of tried-and-true approaches like celebrity endorsements. That may be because, by age 19, explains Peter Zollo, author of Wise Up to Teens, "they will have seen nearly 300,000 marketing messages and can detect ones that are less credible."

Role models. Zollo says young teens want to look five years older than their age. So, make sure your P.O.P. and advertising reflect those self-images.

Naming names. According to Teenage Research Unlimited, nearly half want to be called young adults, young people...just about anything but a teenager.

Cross-merchandising. Cross promoting with other local businesses is smart. The hot new partners? Coffee cafes and cell phone stores.

Mixed metaphors. Though teens value-shop for basics, they hit specialty stores for status items. Your challenge? Making sure the eyewear in