10-08-1997 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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H E A L T H Y YOUTH/HEALTHY C I T I E S Connecting With Kids Communicating with youth and helping them with their problems has become a high priority far cities across the nation. Most evidence, nevertheless, suggests that city government has a hard time connecting with young people and their families. By Frank Benest and Debbie Thornton ew city services go for naught without creative marketing. Take for example these typical challenges. .A city parks and recreation department schedules a teen dance at the youth center. Few kids show up. In a survey distributed at a jun- ior high school, the mayor's office asks young people to identify che major prob- lems facing youth in their community. Even af- ter teachers urge students co return the survey, only a small percentage respond. To actively in- volve young people in civic affairs, a city coun- cil tries to form a youth commission with kids from different backgrounds and with varied in- terests. However, only a handful of highly mo- tivated, college -bound kids apply. A police de- parunent and school district recruit volunteer counselors to assist at -risk youth. Few troubled youth take advantage of the service. The marketing challenge These failures suggest that city governments need to market their services to young people and their families more effectively. Addressing this marketing challenge is cntical if local gov- ernment is to help with problems that confound and hurt youth. actively engage kids in commu- nity Life. and generally support Mern in becom- ing producnve and conmbunng members of so- ciety. Marketing is defined as tinding a need and ailing it. Marketing to vouch involves listening :o kids and evaluating their needs. then re- sponding with opportunities. experiences. and services that are appropriately priced, promoted. and distributed. It requires modifying these ser- vices (or "products") as youth give city hail "customer feedback." This notion of marketing, therefore, goes well beyond merely advertising predetermined youth programs. Marketing is fundamentally an exchange re- lationship: Value is exchanged for value. If A ucosc f 90 - "Marketing to youth involves listening to kids and evaluating their needs, then responding with opportunities, experiences, and services that are appropriately priced, promoted. and dis ibuted." Page 52 youth, in this case, do nor perceive value (in che teen dance, the youth -needs survey, youth commission or service opportuni.ry), they will not provide value (their attention. discretionary income or participation). Youth must perceive value in what cities offer or they will rune our. Barriers to overcome The bathers that prevent city governments from marketing effectively to kids are varied. For in- stance: City departments do not assign stab to develop relationships and rapport with kids be- fore city agencies offer opportunities. experi- ences, and service. Youth are busy and over- ' whelmed. It is difficult to grab their attention when they are bombarded with stimuli and in- formation from many sources. Often. appropri- ate language or positive imagery are not used to connect with young people. Cicv government does not often invest in fostenng diversity among youth leaders who can heiv crises reach kids from a vanery of backgrounds. Well thought -out and creative communications and marketing plans for connecting with kids are not included as standard operating procedure when designing new youth programs. As op- posed to corporations with great expernse :n reaching the youth market. city government of- ten does not pay for marketing expertise co link up with adults. much less kids. Cities this to rec- ognize char there are many kinds of kids. The youth market is highly seg:uented with niches relating co age, gender. ethnicity, interests. in- come. educational or occupational goals. aspira- tions and outlook. Local government agencies often focus on dealing with youth as problems and "deficits" to fixed up with services. Even though adults often calk about youth being the leaders of tomorrow, city govern- ment, schools. and youth-serving organizations do not provide enough opportunities for vouch to practice leadership skills and behaviors.