Teen and Tech talk: An evening with six appeal

London – LS:N Global’s second Teens and Tech network evening welcomed guests from brands such as Links of London, Hasbro, Sony, Samsung and HSBC. Six key speakers from the teen and tech sectors shared their insights with guests in a series of roundtable discussions throughout The Future Laboratory’s Elder Street headquarters.

Remi Paringaux, co-founder of MeriMedia, spoke about his work as art director of POST magazine, the world’s first independent iPad magazine. ‘We’re trying to show products in the way no print magazine could, emphasising the difference between print and digital,’ he explained. For more, read LS:N Global’s coverage of POST magazine.

Mark Swift, creative director at digital creative agency The Cloud and Compass, discussed the importance of ‘making stuff live, making stuff social and making stuff location-based’, and outlined the agency’s work on projects such as Augmented Ibiza and Guinness’ Arthur’s Day.

Ben Geliher, lead producer on Moshi Monsters, talked about how the children’s social network connects the digital and physical worlds, and how the brand is changing the traditional model for children’s entertainment. Read our Innovate on Moshi Monsters for more details.

Terence Teh and Alistair Allan, editorial project manager and digital director of Satellite Voices, discussed how the youth network is highlighting exciting and original trends in smaller cities around the globe. ‘Trends are starting from everywhere now, it’s not just about Paris or New York,’ said Allan. ‘There are lots of cool things going on in smaller cities, the youth move around a lot now.’ For more, read LS:N Global’s previous coverage of Satellite Voices.

Marcus King, associate director at design consultancy Dalziel and Pow gave a short presentation on teen fashion retail, focusing on the importance of creating new experiences for consumers. ‘Topshop has introduced a personal shopper facility,’ he said. ‘It’s bringing a completely different experience to shoppers. And they love it – they probably appreciate it more than the customers at Harrods.’

Hayley Allman, head of digital marketing for online retailer notonthehighstreet.com discussed her concept of ‘chewy brands’ and how to prevent Generation D consumers skittering between your website and those of your rivals.

LS:N Global’s next network evening, on 26 May, will focus on New Gents.