Slightly obvious, but important to note...

In a brandweek.com article titled "Research: Teen Talk Is, Like, Totally Branded" shows that teens spend more time talking about brands than adults.

Well, duh..

But I found some interesting quotes we might want to hold on to while thinking about the dynamics of this demographic.

"Teens are highly plugged into pop culture and brands are a big part of that culture," said Fay. Products and their ads "are conversation currency."

(talking about Miis)
"They enjoy creating an alter ego or a personification of their life," said Harrison.

"[Teens] are more socially enabled than someone working in an office 9 to 5," said Doug Akin, managing partner at Mr. Youth, a Gen Y marketing agency in New York. "They have more multichannel conversations. [Aside from just hanging out], they are texting. They are online. They are on Facebook. On these social networking sites, they are likely to stumble across a marketing message and act on it.

"The assumption you might have is they would only talk about brands they don't like," said Fay. But the reality is once again based on social currency: Teens are often looking to be seen as a person in the know who can recommend the new hot product, he said.

Not to mention. "Brands are badges for teens," said Fay. "You are at a period in your life when you are trying to discover your true identity. Brands can be a short-cut in defining yourself."