An article in Women’s Wear Daily last Wednesday cited a recent study which found that American brands for products aimed in part at teens, compared to ten years ago, are declining in their popularity. Despite the fact that 75 percent of the brands used in the study were from the U.S., neither of the top two brands ranking highest in both recognition and likeability (cell phone/technology big guns Sony and Nokia) are American. As far as American clothing companies go, Ralph Lauren ranked all the way down at 49th, and Gap at 47th in terms of popularity.

Chip Walker, and executive vice president of Energy/BBDO which directed the study, told WWD that:

“An association with the U.S. seems to be a drag on the liability of brands, despite high logo recognition.” He also said that there is “ambivalence towards America among global teens.”

And he's not the only one speculates that Americas reputation might be hurting the reputation of its own products. According to the WWD article:

“In addition, Amanda Freeman, a vice president at the Intelligence Group, said 'Brand U.S. isn’t at its peak.' Freeman, a youth marketing specialist, noted American brands may be hurt by a sense among global teens that the U.S. has been meddling in international affairs.”

The article also reviles that the study went so far as to file teenagers into categories such as “creatives,” (trend setters) “traditionals,” (those who “honor duty and authority”) “thrill seekers,” (whatever that means) and “strivers” (which, according to the article, refers to those teens seeking “upward mobility”), with certain types preferring some brands to others.

The fact that amazing amount of time and energy aimed at the teen market group, and it’s extraordinary buying power, is old news. It's fueled in part by information like that found in article like this one from Business Wire which quoted a claim made by the Yankee Group, a research firm, that the so-called “tween” market group has the potential to double its buying power of technology by 2010.

What did seem new to me were the reasons listed by study experts for the supposed trend. I’m not sure what goes on in the minds of your average European teenagers, but if they aren’t buying Ralph Lauren polo shirts and Gap jeans in protest of President Bush or the war in Iraq, I think you’d be calling a long shot.

It's the last statment in the article that I have a much easier time swallowing: that teenagers are fed up with brands in general and tired of the bombardment of advertisements. No one, especially head strong 16-year-olds, like being told what to think or do, especially in terms of what box of personality some research firm has stuffed them in to.