Technology-induced changes in consumer behaviour: a study of the impact of emerging ICTs on the consumer behaviour of the youth market

Abstract

Young adults are the consumer of the future. They have been described as `the engine of growth? over the next two decades and `agents of change? in the world of marketing. Young adults inhabit an exciting and ever-changing digital marketplace. They are early adopters and key influencers of new technology. Although this group is still motivated by the same aspirations as previous generations, the key differences today are the new communication channels that they use. Next generation information and communication technologies (ICTs) may dramatically change the way the youth market makes buying decisions and could redefine how marketers can reach consumers. This study examines if there is a new IT-enabled consumer that inhabits an interactive marketplace characterised by high levels of heterogeneity. It assesses whether this new consumer will make traditional approaches to marketing redundant. It critically evaluates the attributes of next generation ICTs and their impact on the consumer behaviour of the youth market.