• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 7, 2008

According to the "Golden Age of Youth" study from Viacom Brand Solutions International, marketers should target consumers based upon their engagement and participation in youth culture rather than on their chronological age, and consider the often-overlooked 25-34 age group a part of the youth market, VBSI said.

Kevin Razvi, EVP and managing director of VBSI, said "... people are trying to stay younger for longer... 25-to-34 year-olds are continuing to consume music, gaming and the internet and are enjoying the pursuits of their younger years... we... need to rethink what ‘youth' actually means and... (how to) approach this constantly evolving group of people."

Though those between 25 and 34 remain youthful, there are some important differences among them and their younger and older counterparts. The study identified three distinct stages of youth:

• "Discovery" (16-19 years old)
• "Experimentation" (20-24 years old)
• "Golden" (25-34 years old)

Key findings:

25-34 year-olds are happier, and more confident/secure and gravitate toward premium, understated and often luxurious brands and experiences to affirm their identity. In contrast, teenagers are highly focused on material gain and employ brands to define their identity.

• 25-34-year-olds are most likely to agree that they are happy or content with their personal life, and are 24% more likely than teens to agree that they "love life"
• More than 80% of the global respondents say that that the 20s should be about exploring life and having fun

Teens feel under pressure to figure out who they are and where they are going and are 23% more likely than those 25-34 to agree that their life is more stressful. This is particularly true in Europe and in the US.

• 17% of the global sample who said they'd "made some major decisions in life too early" were the most unhappy and stressed group of 25-34 year olds among all the respondents

Traditional adult brands need to adopt a more youthful tone to avoid being seen as irrelevant, the study said. To support this:

• 23% of the 25-to-34-year-old global sample feels that financial institutions are aimed at those older than they are, though youthful brands have a new market beyond the core teenage target
• In the traditionally young area of technology, one-third of 25-34 year olds agree they're really interested in new technology, and 66% say that they take the time to learn how things work to get the most out of them

The study also found that from a global perspective, 25 is the "ideal" age overall, and includes some additional findings and regional differences:

• Respondents age 25-34 who are married are significantly more likely to be happy (66%) vs. singles (30%)
• Only 36% of Europeans and 39% of Asians 25-34 feel like they're struggling with their current financial situation vs. 55% in Latin America and 51% in America
• 71% of 25-34-year-olds agree they feel comfortable with who they are. Those who feel most settled with their identity live in Mexico (84%), India (83%) and Saudi Arabia (82%). Those who are least comfortable are the Japanese (26%)
• 35% of Europeans would find it strange if someone got married in their early 20s vs. only 20% of Americans and 18% of Japanese
• In general, 78% of 25-34-year-olds are optimistic about their future. This is highest in Latin America (85%), lowest in Asia (67%) and the US (72%)
• 62% of Latin Americans felt they made life decisions too early vs. only 24% Japanese, 37% of Europeans and 50% of Americans

VBSI used both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to survey more than 25,000 respondents between age 16-46 in 18 countries.

Read more about the survey, including charts and graphs, here.