Youth and Leading Edge

We think that leading edge is an attitude, a state of mind, a set of values, and not just an age. We define 'youth' as 16-30 year olds.

We have noticed a real commonality within this age range, a shared culture whereby teens and adults listen to the same music and wear the same trainers. More importantly, technology is a unifier and a leveller providing this connected generation with a shared means of self-expression, community and communication.

Our aim is to help brands to develop innovative and challenging strategies across borders. To do this, we need to focus not just on how things are but also on how things will be.

Young & leading edge people are crucial to brands. In order for brands to manage meaning (and maximise brand value) in the longer term, those who manage brands need to understand how things are changing. In key markets (especially emerging markets) young, leading edge people represent the future of their societies, in terms of:

  • Values, ideals, aspirations
  • Consumer behaviours
  • How they engage with brands and brand communications

  • Leading Edge Panel

    We have built a global leading edge panel of bright, connected, interested, techno-savvy young people who have a long term relationship with Flamingo and are available to take part in various types of research including online groups, bespoke brand panels, omnibus surveys, blogging and ethnography.

    The panel is a  flexible and scaleable resource, a resource which can be tapped into quickly and efficiently at any time and which can accommodate a range of research enquiries. It is both a bank of cultural observations and a consistent trends feed from the streets of the most exciting cities in the world. The panel will periodically take 'lay of the land' surveys, join online groups, blog for us and take part in ethnography. Flamingo will regularly 'take the pulse' of the panel, thus keeping our clients at the cutting edge of youth culture.

  • Expert Network

    Our leading edge panel acts as a trends feed from some of the coolest cities in the world. But we need to separate the trends from the fads, to understand the cultural significance of our leading edge 'raw material' and to work out what this means for brands: how can these insights be leveraged by our clients. This is where our experts come in!

    Our permanent web-based network of incredibly varied and highly specialised individuals are constantly working with us and acting as 'touch points' across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

    What unites them is that they are all culturally attuned and in touch with youth, either through their professions or their personal interests, most likely both. What differentiates them from our Leading Edge panellists is their interpretative skills and foresight.

    Our experts have a unique ability to understand what these developments mean, what lies behind them, and most importantly why and how it is of importance to brands. This stems from the fact that all of our experts are cultural entrepreneurs themselves, and therefore have a strong sense of how culture intersects with and impacts on brands and their activities.

    Individually and collectively these youth experts work with us to give us a feel for what's going on in their market, which brands are talking to young people in new and exciting ways and where things are going. They give us a future-focused view on youth culture around the globe.

    Who are the experts?

    Browse their profiles, check out their photos, read their blogs »