Nielsen recently released their report “How Teens Use Media“, which covered the myths and realities of teen media trends.  The above chart does a great job of outlining how Teens interact with various types of media.  Personally I was surprised by some of the numbers:

• TV is still an overwhelmingly dominant form of media at 3 hours and 20 minutes.  That is greater than PC + Console Gaming + Internet + DVR + DVD.
• The same # of Teens “watch video on an MP3 Player” as “read newspapers.”
• 1 in 3 are using the Mobile Web (has your brand even thought about this?)

Often Brand Managers jump to the conclusion that Teens are using media in very differently ways.  But according to these numbers, there might just be more similarities than differences.

Courtesy of Will Lion on Flickr

It continues to amaze me how many brands do not invest in digital, choosing instead to stay with the safety of traditional mass media (ie TV and print).  When asked why, you will hear a lot of different answers, but none that haven’t been proven wrong time and time again.  Digital is measurable.  Digital can provide solid ROI.  Digital can drive trial and awareness.

But if you are still struggling with justifying your digital investment, I think there are 4 important reasons digital should matter to your brand:

1. Digital enables relationships and community
2. Digital tells a story around your brand
3. Digital is a key part of an integrated campaign
4. Digital builds brand equities in new ways

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