Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Posted: 10:09 AM
"This new report sheds tremendous light onto the habits of today's youth. Distinct differences were found among youth from one metro city in China to the next. When these data were compared to our U.S. YouthPulse findings, it became increasingly evident that marketing to these groups requires a sophisticated understanding of the disparities among youth, prompting adjustments to campaigns in order to optimize brand acceptance and loyalty among target youth, on a global scale over time," stated Dana Markow, Vice President of Research for the Youth & Education Practice at Harris Interactive.
Media and Technology Usage
The report suggests that youth in all three locations share many common interests. For example, nearly all Shanghai (94%) and Hong Kong (91%) 15-21 year olds say they spent time instant messaging yesterday, while only six in ten (59%) U.S. 15-21 year olds did the same. Nearly nine in ten (88%) Shanghai 15-21 year olds and two-thirds (66%) of Hong Kong youth the same age spent time text messaging yesterday, compared to only half (51%) of U.S. 15-21 year olds. Playing massively multi-player online games (MMO's) is more popular among Chinese than U.S. teens and young adults, with six in ten (64%) Shanghai and nearly half (46%) of Hong Kong 15-21 year olds spending time playing these games. Only two in ten (22%) U.S. teens and young adults the same age do the same.
Television also has some role in the lives of youth. Ultimately, we all know that television is a staple in the lives of American youth, but what is surprising is the amount of television that U.S. teens and young adults are watching compared to youth in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
"More than two-thirds (68%) of U.S. 15-21 year olds say they watched television yesterday, compared to 19 percent of Hong Kong teens and young adults, and only 15 percent of Shanghai youth. On the other hand, Shanghai and Hong Kong youth are more reliant on print media than U.S. youth. Eighty-one percent of Shanghai and 65 percent Hong Kong 15-21 year olds read a magazine, compared to only two in ten U.S. youth., And these findings begin to offer significant insight on how youth preferences can impact related media mix and placement strategies to most effectively reach and influence purchasing behaviors among these groups," stated Anthony Venus, Executive Director, Harris Interactive Asia.
Other United States / China YouthPulse Comparison Report Highlights
-- Money is most important for U.S. teens and young adults when it comes to their professional futures like getting a good education (60%), choosing a job (48%), and feeling secure (46%). Shanghai and Hong Kong youth value money most for personal and social reasons like finding a spouse (46% Shanghai, 33% Hong Kong), making friends (32% Shanghai, 35% Hong Kong), and looking good (28% Shanghai, 37% Hong Kong);
-- Becoming a millionaire tops the list of aspirational goals that 15-21 year olds in all three countries strive for, especially U.S. teens and young adults (56% U.S., 28% Shanghai, 39% Hong Kong). Other top aspirations for U.S. youth include curing a disease (45%), or starting a big company (33%). Shanghai youth also aspire to become a famous writer (24%), or to win a nobel prize (24%). Besides becoming a millionaire, Hong Kong youth hope to start a big company (36%), or become a famous musician/singer (32%);
-- Not having enough money tops the list of on-going fears for youth in all three countries (60% U.S., 36% Shanghai, 59% Hong Kong). Other U.S. youths' fears revolve around getting good grades (56%), and that college will be too expensive for them (44%). Shanghai youth are also concerned about drugs and alcohol (36%) and not being able to have kids (26%), while Hong Kong youth are worried about their appearance - looking good (39%) and being overweight (35%);
-- Public policy concerns are also real. Hong Kong and U.S. youth are most concerned about pollution (67% and 62%), while Shanghai youth are more concerned about terrorism (64%).
To receive a full copy of the 2007 U.S. / China YouthPulse Comparison Report, please contact James Lo at jlo@harrisinteractive.com. For ongoing access to youth research conducted by Harris Interactive, a complimentary subscription to Trends and Tudes can be requested at: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_k12.asp.
Methodology
The Harris Interactive 2007 YouthPulse was conducted online within the United States between July 12 and August 2, 2007 among a total of 2,438 U.S. 8-21 year olds (including 1,162 15-21 year olds). For 8-17 year olds, figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, urbanicity, highest level of parents education, and region were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. For 18-21 year olds, figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, and income were weighted where necessary to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for 18-21 year old respondents' propensity to be online.
The Harris Interactive 2007 China YouthPulse survey was conducted online between August 1 and August 30, 2007 among a total of 1,169 Hong Kong and 657 Shanghai youth ages 15 - 35 years old. For 15 - 35 year olds, figures for age, sex were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. 8-21 year old population and the 15-35 year old population in China. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About Harris Interactive Youth & Education Practice
The Harris Interactive Youth & Education Research Practice conducts research among young people, parents, educators, administrators and policy makers to better understand the lives of children, teens and college students. We are the only major research firm with a practice dedicated solely to this type of research. We proudly serve both non-profit and for-profit organizations, including hundreds of public school districts, public and private universities, corporations and foundations. Over the past decade, our researchers have conducted more than one million interviews with members of "Generation Y" to determine the issues of importance to today's youth.
Our research, which often focuses on youth-related marketing, public policies for youth and education, as well as family and parenting issues, also includes satisfaction studies and research for measuring the standards of K-12 and higher education in districts across the nation. In addition to our online omnibus studies, we conduct a full range of custom and multiclient research projects - both in the US and globally - among children and teens.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and one of the fastest-growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.
Harris Interactive Inc. 12/07
SOURCE: Harris Interactive
Press: Harris Interactive Tracey McNerney, 585-214-7756
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