<font color="#ff0000">Guest Article: </font> Sarabpreet Bedi: Move over pester power, teen consultants are here

Today's teens don't pester any more. To the contrary, their informed voice is guiding their parents with brand choices, even when it comes to big money decisions

Recently, my seven-year-old daughter nagged me into buying Mentos for her at the neighbourhood store. The allure was not the candy itself, but the 'magic candle', which some smart marketer had bundled with it. She had seen the ad and was drawn enough to push me into buying it. Talking to a few hassled parents, who have children her age, confirmed that 'pester power' is at full swing at seven.

Fast forward a few years. Could marketers still call it 'pestering', when she starts advising me on mobiles and mutual funds? And I listen to that advice?

The truth is that the teens of today don't seem to be pestering any more. To the contrary, their informed voice is guiding their parents with brand choices, even when it comes to big money decisions. The power of pestering seems to be on its way out, giving way to the power of consulting.

Teens are an aware lot today, thanks to the fact that they live on the edge in an ever-evolving media landscape. All the knowledge they gather while rolling along seems to be having an interesting effect on the brand choices made by their parents.

Teens, today, are influencing decisions across the aisle. Whereas it was always a given that they would decide on categories such as chips and colas, what's new is that they are giving opinions on other categories -- durables, mobiles, PCs, family holidays, even saving instruments and real estate.

Parents seem happy to see their kids come up with recommendations. With working couples hardly having time to research before buying, they are getting their kids to do the homework.

Given the fact that these kids are the first true-blooded digital natives, they are much more tech savvy than their parents. And this is a great source of comfort to the parents. Parents are conveying that fact to anyone who cares to listen.

Kids today are very informed, much more than we were in earlier days. They know so much more about technology and the like. As a mother of a 14-year-old says, "I always listen to what my daughter says about things like mobile and PC."

And this is one kind of homework that the kids don't seem to mind much. They browse the Net, talk to friends, scan ads and hunt around shops to ensure the best deal. What's more, at times, these kids proactively understand their parents' needs, without the parents having to voice them, and come up with solutions.

The situation seems to be a win-win for both parties. The kids not only get to express their viewpoint, but it is also an acknowledgement of their adulthood by their parents. For the parents, rather than talking to a third person and explaining their likes and dislikes, they see these kids as 'free' consultants operating from home.

What is also interesting is the fact that the kids of today seem to have an opinion and viewpoint about everything, which is shaped by their extended eyes and ears, both online and offline. They come across as very articulate, almost opinionated.

Marketers cannot underestimate the power of the elevation of teens to consultants. One impact of this shift would be an increased focus on the teen universe, even by brands that traditionally define their target audience to be much older. Another impact would be on the tonality and voice of the various brands in the market today.

The question is whether, as marketers, we are ready. Catchin' 'em young was never as important.

(With inputs from Nirmal John)

(The author is senior planning director, Ogilvy Delhi)