Opportunities for brands targeting the Australian youth market have been given a comprehensive insight into the motivations of 1900 young people aged between 18 and 29 courtesy of the latest study by youth publisher and marketing agency Sound Alliance.

The research piece titled ‘Where Have All the Rebels Gone?’ includes results showing that an overwhelming 80% are still searching for a passion or purpose in life, and the answers were definitive that social media is used almost exclusively as a primary news source.

“The desire for a passion is unmistakably there, so brands that are able to support and nurture this yearning among Australian youth will be set up for longer term success,” says Sound Alliance CEO Neil Ackland.

Facebook appears to be out of favour to an extent with brands like Apple, Red Bull, Samsung and Rekorderlig, the Swedish cider gaining some interest thanks to the innovative approach of both in appealing to this demographic.

Music still dominates this age brackets’ daily interest, with those polled interestingly ranking tunes as being more important than relationships and sex.

The survey also revealed that today’s youth have grown tired of bombarding marketing messages and need to be spoken to in a more direct manner.

Content is king in their world, so advertising needs to avoid the traditional path, remain relevant and interesting and be unique. Putting a value on quality above other brand attributes was another thing youth demands.

“Quality or the perception of quality is pivotal to the success of your brand. In fact a big problem for brands is that history and authenticity carry little weight with youth,” says Ackland, before adding.

“Something new can be just as good as something old. Success doesn’t hinge on how long you’ve been around or where you came from, but what you do right now,” he admits.

Other key findings with clear implications for marketers included a, “distinct lack of materialism” (93% value experiences over possessions) and despite interest reported to be waning, 93% still use Facebook every day.

The survey also discovered that a third of the youth market (33%) were prone to tipping some of their money into savings.