Hey There, Lonelygirl (Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic)

08/11/2006

Hey There, Lonelygirl

What to make of the lonelygirl15 phenomenon? In case you haven't heard, 16-year-old Bree is the reigning queen of the personal confession video on YouTube, with a million cumulative views of the dozen or so webcam confessionals she has uploaded in the last month.

She's earnest and telegenic, but this is hardly Dawson's Creek. Mostly it's sincere ramblings about feeling different, parent problems, and a burgeoning interest in boys. Then there are thousands of video responses and tens of thousands of comments that showcase a mixture of sympathy, creativity, and teen sarcasm.

Judging by the declining traffic patterns over the last few weeks, Bree's fifteen minutes of fame are almost up. But her success underscores several truths about speaking to a youth audience through video:

Authenticity is paramount for teens.

The debate rages about whether lonelygirl's videos are a true bedroom production or are professionally produced. Dozens of viewers have offered detailed theories of a marketing hoax. But regardless, it's the feeling of looking right into her life that has viewers fascinated. Marketers have already started to explore this angle through fake CGM.

Peer interest and approval creates an exponential effect.

The community component of YouTube is an overlooked aspect of the site's success. So much attention is paid to the quality of content. But real stickiness comes from generating video responses, comments, and subscriptions. Even in her choice of name, lonelygirl's musings invite the community to participate.

Gen Y girls embrace technology, particularly when it creates opportunities for social connection

It's time to stop thinking of boys as the leading adopters of consumer technologies. Teen girls are constantly linked to their friends, by text message, IM, their cell phone, their MySpace page. Today's L.A. Times reports that girls ages 12 to 14 are more likely to multi-task than boys of their age group, and are the most enthusiastic about viewing content on iPods, laptops and cellphones.

Do you think we overlook the needs of young women in our efforts to create online experiences that resonate with young men?

Misha Cornes

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