NEW YORK—Wireless carriers should create separate marketing messages for teenagers and parents in order to capitalize on the lucrative teen market, according to a report from JupiterResearch.
According to the report, “Teens: Mobile Subscriber Acquisition,” nearly 60 percent of teenagers have a cell phone while about 70 percent of adults do.
“Parents get mobile phones for their teens because they want to communicate in case of an emergency, and wireless carriers have made it easy to add users to their existing plans,” said Julie Ask, research director at JupiterResearch. “Wireless carriers have been very successful in getting parents to expand their plans to include their teens, but between free phones and shared minutes, it’s not the most lucrative proposition for carriers.”
Teenagers who have their own calling plan actually consume more premium content and thus yield a higher margin for carriers, said the report.
“To effectively capture the teen market, wireless carriers should create separate marketing messages for teens and their parents,” said David Schatsky, president of JupiterResearch. “Parents will be responsive to the value proposition, whereas teen marketing should focus on trendy gadgets and content.”
