A teen ethnography I did for truth anti-tobacco while at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, exploring media habits of 11-17 year olds from across the U.S.. The insights hold true today, and are just amplified that much more. Contact me to quickly recruit and implement innovative imagination-tapping digital ethnographies for branding, product, service, and business development. Also to develop a crowd source for ongoing connectivity.

1. Teen Ethnography
Spring 2005

2. THE NEED FOR A CULTURAL ASSESMENT
We launched the ‘truth’ anti-tobacco brand in 1998 and have been
operating from the same positioning and brief (industry
manipulation) since its inception. But the expression of that
positioning has taken many executional shapes and forms to keep
the brand fresh and top-of-mind among teens…
Brands that innovate and change their expression seem to be in
constant motion. Brands that express themselves in the same
way over time seem inert.

3. BACKGROUND
The truth brand was born of the insight that teen brands are tools
for expression and identity.
We’ve focused on positioning truth as a brand that taps into the
need states of sensation-seeking teens.
These needs include the need to rebel, to take risks, to fit in, to be
independent, and to feel respected. All of these need states
represent the needs for self-expression and control.

4. BACKGROUND
We hit the nail on the head with Connect Truth, Seek Truth, and
now Fair Enough.
Much of this was due to our ability to stay current in the constantly
evolving culture of teens.
Technology and media are rapidly evolving - as quickly young
people grow out of our 11-18 year old target.

5. OBJECTIVES
We decided to go back into the field to take a temperature of our
target in order to:
Take a look at the overall culture of teens now
Gauge the evolution of technology in their lives
Understand the current relationship teens have with media and
technology

6. WHAT WE DID
We recruited 11-18 year olds with diverse backgrounds and
lifestyles from around the country:
Angelica, 16
Chicago Karrah, 17 Molly, 15
Rochester NY
Rebekka, 17, Boston
Janeile, 17
Arcadia, CA Queens
Sheeva, 16, Spencer, 16
Long Island
Laguna, CA
Kayla, 11,
Amira, 18, Texarkana TX
San Diego
Nikki, 18 Michael, 13
Houston Southwest Florida

7. WHAT WE DID
We sent them a plain mead composition book, a camera, and a
photo assignment packet and off they went on a 7 day journey to
get inside the lives of their peers:

8. WHAT WE DID
In their journals, each reporter recorded their own day to day
media and tech activities as well as the activities of a few of their
friends.

9. WHAT WE DID
We asked them to decorate their journals in a manner that best
described their world.
Nikki, 18, Houston

10. WHAT WE DID
Each journal was a unique, well thought out - and well produced -
expression of themselves.
Karrah, 17, Rochester NY Michael, 13, Fl
I play guitar and write music, so my I like DBZ (above) because it is the Angelica, 17, Chicago
music stuff is really important to coolest action cartoon anime in the style is really important in my
me. world. culture.

11. WHAT WE DID
Rebekka, 17, Arcadia, CA
I love colorful patterns and Kayla, 11, Texarkana, TX Janeile, 17, NYC
imagery, hence the lollipop. We have access to more Throughout the course of this journal, you
There were fewer problems technology than our parents did will see the words cell phone, television,
when I was young. didn't at our age and we learn how to radio, AOL Instant Messenger, and text
know much about the world, I use new things quicker. message repeated constantly because
guess. quite frankly, they are my life!

12. WHAT WE DID
We sent them photo packets, instructing them to take snapshots
and describe the significance and stories behind the artifacts that
make up their every day lives.
prized favorite bags
possessions outfits
cars rooms lockers
We wanted to get an unfiltered, unadulterated peek - and see
how technology and media fit into the bigger picture.

13. So what did we learn?

14. Technology is a natural and organic part of life for teens

15. It’s a part of development
Kids become fluent in the language and customs of technology,
just like they learn how to walk and talk.

16. Technology is part of their daily routine
“am: Woke up to alarm on phone” - Amira, 18
“I ate breakfast while watching the Bad Boys II DVD” - Rachel, 16
“Everyone bought their CD players to school today. I brought my iPod and I listened
to gangsta music.”- Angie, 16
“2-3pm: IMd with Joel and did SAT prep on collegeboard.com” - Karrah, 17
“I played Final Fantasy for HOURS.” - Rachel
“At 9:34pm, I went and made a PowerPoint presentation on snakes and other
reptiles.” - Michael, 13
“Ali fell asleep to Pirate of the Caribbean” - Molly, 15

17. Teens soak up pop culture a million different ways with
technology
“My favorite movie..The Shins are on the soundtrack” - Karrah
“I’m a glossy mag pro. I even subscribe to men’s mags. It’s out of control.” - NP
“Game Boy Advance in my bag” - Rachel
“Game Cube! Yeah!! played for 3 hours…Mario Cart for 30 minutes…Robots
again for 45…went to bed at 11:30” - Kayla
“…Jay-Z, Terror Squad.. I’m a hardcore hip hop girl”- JT
“The box! It’s the ultimate game playing machine, and it holds lots of
music.” -Sandy

18. Technology affords them a whole new way of communicating.

19. Teens use technology as a way to express their
identity
In the past, cars, clothing and music were the main ways
teens expressed identity.
Now they use their cell phone and the Internet.
Age is no longer a barrier.
13 year olds participate as much as older teens.
The technology they use reflects their individuality:
ringtones, ‘wallpaper,’ screen names, itune song lists, blogs.
smartphones

20. They create a digital shorthand for themselves.
An ‘emoticon’ of who they are.
“This sidekick might as well come with a belt loop attachment.”
- Sandy, 16
“I love my computer, I’m on it every day. What makes it even better is that
Pharrell is my screensaver!” - Nikki, 18
More quotes about identity

21. Teens use technology to expand their world
Teens have a new kind of mobility and freedom. They use technology
to go beyond the physical boundaries of their teen existence - their
parents house, their neighborhood, their school and their town.
“I met Matt while playing Halo on my Digital “I keep in touch with my Spanish speaking friends in
X-Box. With the Digital X-Box, you can go the Dominican Republic through email.” – Nikki
against people from all over the world.” –
Sandy
“The world sure is getting smaller.” Janeille,
Queens
I hop on the computer and check my friends‚
Myspaces and Livejournals. I read my close
friends blogs so that I can keep updated on
their lives.
- Amira, San Diego

22. Technology is a springboard that catapults them onto
a much bigger stage.

23. Broadcast
Their use of technology is allowing them to make a bigger
impact and therefore have more autonomy and control
The more opportunities teens
have for interacting and the
farther the reach, the more
impact they have.
There is more potential, more at
stake, and more avenues than
ever before
*figure 3.2
*Jensen (1999) has constructed a graphical illustration of Laurel’s continuum of interactivity, presented in figure 3.2.

24. The merging of technology and media is closing the gap
between producer and consumer.
The byproduct of evolving technology and increased communications is
access to an arsenal of tools to participate in the production of culture.
“This is where I spend most of my time making music and editing.”
“Most of my friends are in tune with pop culture, technology, and the media, and
enjoy starting trends” -Janeile
This is my DJ console. I use this at parties and stuff to mix music. - Spencer
“I went home to download some Spanish Reggae songs for my IPOD. I gotta
represent what I am!” - Angie
“I like to play Club World on PS2, a game based on just creating any type of
music. It’s fun to be creative.”
Kayla’s highly produced
culture DVD

25. Technology gives teens the reach to put their stamp on the
world
The Internet puts the power in the hands of your average teen with a
modem and the right software, leveling the media playing field.
They have a potential audience of infinity for whatever they want to
communicate.
"It seems I'm famous. I really don't know how it happened. The Internet is
a mighty place. Obviously nothing too interesting must be happening
because my stupid video debuted on CNN during a financial talk …not to
mention, the ONLY place I uploaded it was Newgrounds.com, and now 3
months later it's everywhere.”-Gary Brolsma, Internet Star
blogs

26. The freedom offered by technology is an increasingly
significant tool for fulfilling teens’ need for control and
autonomy
They know what they want and they know - better than past
generations - how to get it.
I always tape up posters from
magazines and articles that
talk about the lives of buyers
and fashion merchandisers.
-Nikki, talking about her
collages

27. Truth was based on the insight that teens have a need for control
and autonomy.
The options teens have for gaining autonomy and control are
expanding because of the evolution of media and technology.
New advanced tools are accessible to them. Tools that can help
them express identity, expand their world, and make a statement.
The possibilities are endless.
Truth needs to tap into these evolved tools of control and make
them work to empower teens to reject tobacco.