Badly designed, statement-led, agenda-driven research studies are misleading marketers about how young people buy products and brands and placing too much emphasis on social purpose.

Research conducted over the past five years consistently shows that for 16–24-year-olds, as for other age groups, value for money, reliability and product/service quality are consistently the most important factors when buying. Ethical and environmental concerns are secondary.

Why it matters

Good research starts by asking the right questions, in the right way. A scattering of agree/disagree statements does not get to the many motivations behind young peoples’ buying behaviour. A more granular-designed survey will deliver...