From the Observation Deck

I decided to interview my friend’s daughter, Kerry, who is a sixteen year old with excellent fashion sense and the ability to find the best deal in town. We adults have a lot of fun hanging out with her and getting the scoop on the thoughts of today’s younger generation. Here is my conversation with Kerry regarding her thoughts on Facebook (FB), Twitter, and MySpace.

Dawn: What do you and your friends think about FB and Twitter and how often do you use it?

Kerry: We like FB. We like it because of the wall and posting pictures. Twitter is not a high school thing. FB is a better way to communicate and it’s easier to navigate. No one uses Twitter. We can update our FB status through our blackberries. (Interviewer’s comment—teenagers with blackberries. Hmmmmmmm.) I haven’t tried Twitter but I think it’s kind of dumb. I understand it but it seems like it’s just something else to learn about and if you have FB why have Twitter?

I go on FB about three times a week. My friends are on it more. (Interviewer’s comment—my teenage nieces are on FB all the time.) 

Dawn: What about school stuff? Do you go online to get assignments? Do you communicate with or “friend” teachers?

Kerry: Teachers give assignments through web pages. And they send emails when they change dates of assignments. Teachers are on FB but they don’t “friend” the students. There are cool teachers who we would like to “friend,” but it doesn’t happen. The teachers do sometimes “friend” alumni though.

Dawn: How many FB friends do you have and what type of people do you “friend?”

Kerry: I have about 600 FB friends. I don’t “friend” everyone. If someone sends me a request I make sure it’s someone I know or it’s a friend of someone else I know (for example, someone who goes to school with them). I never “friend” strangers. My FB friends are from my school, other schools, my beach friends, camp friends, etc. I FB friend some of my mom’s friends and some neighbors, but not other relatives like grandparents. My brother is a friend—his profile picture is of the two of us. (Interviewer’s comment—aaaawwwww. I bet he changes that when he gets to college next fall.)

Dawn: What do you think about MySpace?

Kerry: I don’t like MySpace. I had a MySpace account before FB came out and it was cool then, but now it’s not. We don’t go on MySpace anymore. A lot of middle schoolers like it.  

Thanks Kerry! Kerry is an exceptional young woman who does community service working with disabled people at the local YMCA and babysits to make money to pay for her cell phone bill. She’s looking forward to her junior year (but I’m sure is more excited about the summer ahead).

So that’s what the kids (according to Kerry) are saying about some of the social networking sites. Does Twitter have a future with the younger generation? Can Twitter make it easier to use and learn? And can the creators make it relevant and applicable to teenagers? If not, will these teenagers catch on as adults or will Twitter fade away? Things to think about.

And if you’re on Facebook, look up and become a fan of “Grendel the dog.” He’ll appreciate it.

Have you ever had an experience where you  just scratched your head and said, “Did that just happen?” As I was walking Grendel on the beach yesterday, this kid shouts to me from about 50 feet away and says, “Hey lady, you want to buy some rocks?” Um, not so much, thanks anyway, kid.

At first I thought he was a bit crazy. Seriously, who tries to sell people rocks? But as I continued my walk, I thought, it takes some serious cohunes to walk up to strangers and ask if they would like to buy rocks. The kid has what it takes to be a great salesman. But if he wants to really succeed, he’s going to need some basic marketing skills.

First, he needs to consider location—or place. Women in bathing suits walking their dogs on the beach are not likely to be able to pull out a credit card or cash. Maybe in the crowded public beaches during the high season, but not on a private deserted beach. Kid, get your product where the people are and in places and situations where they can buy your glorious rocks.

Second, he needs to finesse his message. What’s in it for me? That is what customers want to know, especially if you are trying to sell rocks. What makes your rocks so great that I am going to feel like I can’t do without them?

Third, he may want to consider the kind of product he is selling. I’m guessing his rocks aren’t the kind that women wear on their ring fingers. If you have a unique product that is easily understood by the public, you may have a gold mine and could be first to market—a great way to get in early and build strong brand recognition. If you’re going to pick a commodity, you’re going to have to set yourself apart some other way. Price may not be a good way to do that. Do you wrap your rocks in really cool packaging? Do you provide exceptional customer service when someone has a question or problem with your rocks?

These are important things to consider in your marketing strategy. I hope that kid learns these things and keeps his talent for asking for the sale. Who knows, he may eventually move on to selling ice to eskimos.