Channel 4 research reveals security is the number one need for 16-24s

6 July 2016

 

- 90% of young people agree that security is very important to them

- Feeling safe and comfortable is particularly important for females (82%) and 16-18s (83%)

- 55% of 16-18 year olds say it has become more important to them in the past year

 

Channel 4 and Starcom today announced the results of pioneering research into the hierarchy of needs of young people which reveals that ‘security’ is the fundamental need for 16-24 year-olds.

Working with research and strategy agency Crowd DNA, the project entitled Young Hearts and Minds, asked over 1,100 young people to identify what emotional needs were most present and compelling to them and to quantify how they express these desires. By identifying the feelings that these needs evoke, the research has significant implications for the way brands target young people through advertising.

“Building good relationships with others” was deemed the next most important need (88%) after ‘Security’. ‘Significance’ – feeling satisfied with who you are – was ranked third (86%) whilst ‘Novelty’ - experiencing something new - and ‘Integrity’ were the two least important needs in the hierarchy.

This has huge implications for brands, as the study highlights that they need to work harder to play into the needs of young people. With only 10% agreeing that brands provided them with something to believe in, and only 9% agreeing that brands help them build relationships. Novelty fared only slightly better, with 14% agreeing that brands help them experience something new.

Martin Greenbank, Head of Advertising Research at Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 has maintained relevance with young people for over 34 years. Young Hearts and Minds has revealed a fascinating insight into the needs of young people and will undoubtedly help brands tailor their advertising to this often hard-to-reach demographic.

“It is often assumed that novelty is most important for this demographic. Catch their eye with something exciting and fun, and you’re away. And yes, this is a central need for young people, but at a turbulent time when young people are transitioning through life stages, they need to feel like they have someone or somewhere to turn to.”

Pippa Glucklich, Chief Executive of Starcom UK, said: “So many assumptions are made about young people, but to really connect with this audience brands have to understand the deep emotional reasons as to why they behave as we do. Security emerges as a key needstate. The recent Brexit referendum brings this into sharp focus, where younger people voted overwhelmingly (75%) to stay in Europe – amongst other things, surely a vote for security and stability. The findings from our study in conjunction with Channel 4 demonstrate the cultural shifts amongst young people from generation to generation and help us to define and build compelling experiences to engage with this important audience.”

The research also revealed an insight into the way young people view different social media platforms; Facebook is used the most by young people (30%) when fighting for something they believe in, YouTube is where they have most recently experienced something new (31%), and 20% of females say that they have experienced new things with Instagram compared to only 12% of males. Overall, 63% of young people say social media has helped them to build good relationships with others.

Young Hearts and Minds was tailored to Channel 4 and Crowd DNA’s Tribes project to show which Tribes prioritise each need. The award-winning UK Tribes research panel is made up of 35 ‘tribes’ and has helped to define new trends and behaviours amongst young people. More details are available at www.uktribes.com.

 

Notes to editors

The research was carried out through an online survey of 1,106 16-24s and a series of four seperate tasks with the Channel 4 Tribes community.