This evening, I spent some time looking into what is new in advertising options at the mall.   While I’m aware that I’ve seen plenty of advertising while shopping, I had never stopped to consider the opportunities presented by using a mall as an advertising medium, especially to reach a teenage audience.

Hanging out at the mall is a traditional teenage pastime, which can be both a good and bad thing for the mall management.  While their pocket money is certainly welcome, large and rowdy groups can impede the shopping experience for other patrons.  But what about teenagers as a semi-captive advertising audience?

One study(pdf), released by Scarborough Research in June of this year, came up with some interesting statistics.  According to the study, 68% of teen mall shoppers spend more than 2 hours at the mall during a typical visit and 95% of them notice any form of mall advertising.  This results in a hugeopportunity if your desired clientelle falls in the 12-17 age range.

Tips for reaching a teenage audience: 

- Your ad should be interactive and entertaining.  In a word, “cool.”  Moving ads, tv screens, kiosks and displays are in. Be creative and think of unique ways for your ad to interact with its enviroment (Habitat-Centric Marketing).

- Celebrities and music have a large influence on this age group.  While small businesses may not be able to afford a billboard top 40 musician, consider working with bands that have a strong local following.

- Build Synergy.  Advertising on a mobile platform and through social networks are also effective ways to reach teens.  If you’re currently running a campaign on another platform, think about ways to integrate it into your mall advertising.

- Be sincere.  Teenagers can be very cynical when it comes to advertising, so be straightforward and don’t try to trick them.

Have more ideas on how to reach the teen audience?  Add them to our comments!