Emerging opportunities for marketers in smaller cities: Targeting the teenage segment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm2024.v04.n04.002Keywords:
Teenagers, Smaller cities, Digital adaptation, Social media exposureAbstract
Smaller cities have become a hot market for businesses eager to stretch their metropolitan wings in recent years. As new age consumer behavior is shaping up and the growing digital world appears at their fingertips, the teenage segment has vast potential for marketers to grab hold of given their increased patronage and disposable income at their disposal. This white paper investigates new opportunities for marketers in smaller cities as they relate to the teenage segment. It focuses upon the primary drivers behind this trend, how effective engagement can be done, as well as various challenges marketers have to contend with. Thus, this study is an attempt to provide meaningful insights related to the purchasing and consumption pattern adopted by teen segment and their influencing role on other age groups.
References
Methri, G. (2025, January 20). India’s non-metro cities outpace metros with 175% payment growth. IBS Intelligence. Retrieved from https://ibsintelligence.com
Pariona, A. (2018, January 18). Metro cities of India. Retrieved February 24, 2025, from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/metro-cities-in-india.html
ETtech. (2025c, January 13). India’s smaller cities drive digital payments growth; card spending soars 175%. The Economic Times. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com
Standard, B. (2023). In economic shift, smaller cities keep consumption engine running. Retrieved from https://www.business-standard.com/economy/analysis/in-economic-shift-smaller-cities-keep-consumption-engine-running-123101300313_1.html
Gutgutia, M. (2024, November 29). Indian e-tailing saga: Slow pace, steady stride. Retrieved from https://redseer.com/newsletters/india-e-tailing-update-2023/
Ibef. (2024, October 8). Small Indian cities to witness high retail developments by 2029: Report. India Brand Equity Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.ibef.org
Cain, Alasdair. 2006. “Teenage Mobility in the United States: Issues and Opportunities for Promoting Public Transit.” Transportation Research Record (1971):140–48.
Khalaf, Abderrahman M, Abdullah A. Alubied, Ahmed M Khalaf, and Abdallah A. Rifaey. 2023. “The Impact of Social Media on the Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review.” Cureus 15(8).
Ganguly, R. (2014, June 13). Teens in smaller metros more active on networking sites. The Times of India. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Ghosh, A. (2016, July 15). Teens in smaller cities are as digitally plugged in as metro kids. HuffPost. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com
João, B. and Baía, P. (2021) ‘Adolescent’s perception of his influence on purchase decision of mobile phone for his own use: a consumer socialization perspective’, Innovative Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp.272–283.
Shoham, A. and Dalakas, V. (2003) ‘Family consumer decision making in Israel: the role of teens and parents’, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp.238–251, DOI: 10.1108/07363760310472263.
Belch, George E., Michael A. Belch, and Gayle Ceresino. 1985. “Parental and Teenage Child Influences in Family Decision Making.” Journal of Business Research 13(2):163–76.
Meyers, A. (2019) Teens in the US are spending more time on YouTube than on Netflix for the first time, Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/teens-in-us-spend-more-time-on-youtube-than-netflix-2019-10 (Accessed: 27 July 2024).
Montgomery, K. (2000) ‘Youth and digital media: a policy research agenda’, Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 27, No. 2, SUPPL., pp.61–68, DOI: 10.1016/S1054-139X(00)00130-0.z
Pew Research Center (2018) Teens and Their Experiences on Social Media, Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech [online] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/11/28/teensand-their-experiences-on-social-media/ (accessed 1 January 2024).