UK agency Spring Research has launched a youth division, Tuned In, dedicated to helping clients connect with young consumers, to be run by former planner, Douglas Dunn. The name reflects the division’s focus on using music and music terminology to help get access to their audience.

Developed in collaboration with specialist music marketing agency Approved Marketing, Tuned In will offer a syndicated research survey called Pulse, linking young people’s music choices with ‘tribal belonging and behaviour’. As well as exploring the latest developments in major movements in music and youth culture, the survey aims to identify emerging music and lifestyle trends, such as tee-totalism (‘straight-edging’ in current youth parlance).

The project runs quarterly, each wave also covering a specialist subject in depth - upcoming issues include:

• Music & Sponsorship
• Clothing & Trainers
• Internet & Telecoms
• Drinking and nightlife.

Clients are offered an annual subscription package, including four waves of research. Syndicate members get a quarterly presentation from a leading youth researcher, DVD output for use in corporate or pitch presentations, monthly email updates of new tribes / bands / trends / products, access to music and youth consultants on an as-needed basis and use of a microsite for information and debate.

Spring says the first major client to sign up for the survey is Unilever, and negotiations are currently underway with other youth focused brands. Managing Partner Steve Phillips comments ‘Youth define themselves via music, so we use music as a way of approaching and connecting with young people, in their environment, on their terms.’

The division will use a combination of desk research, focus groups, observation and ‘guerrilla interviewing’ of more than 100 young people in locations where they feel ‘confident and in charge’ – including clubs, record shops, street and home interviewing, all of which are shown in the output DVD. The primary research is backed up by a ‘celebrity advisory panel including the likes of Roll Deep and various music industry luminaries’.

Spring is online at www.springresearch.co.uk

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