Credible Youth Culture Study Reveals Opportunities + Driving Trends Effecting Global Markets in Streetwear Fashion, New Media, Sports + Entertainment

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September 13, 02007—According to fresh results released today from Label Networks’ 7^th bi-annual North American Youth Culture Study—Fall Report ‘07, young people 13-25-years-old are re-shaping market trends motivated mostly by new technology and communication patterns, resulting in unique preferences and influences for where they spend their money, adopt fashion, and influences from music, sports, entertainment, new media, marketing + advertising, and more. The Study, produced by Label Networks, a leading global intelligence media company covering global youth culture since 2000, provides fresh consumer insight and analysis that indicates how a new generation has come into their own, the generation gap that exists even within the marketplace itself, and where market trends are headed, including the ripple effects this has across Europe, Japan, and China.

“Since we also produce Youth + Street Culture Studies across Western Europe, Japan, and China, when we complete the North American Fall Report, we can essentially see this macro arc of how things are starting and which direction they’re moving in an why—such as subcultures of fashion from Japan, that may have started from Los Angeles, then get recontextualized in Tokyo, picked up in East London, and redefined again in New York,” says Tom Wallace, President of Label Networks. But when it comes to streetwear, American youth culture still leads many of the markets across the world. “For this reason, our North American Youth Culture Study is always the most highly anticipated among our global subscribers each year.”

Particularly, new shifts in streetwear trends, sneaker culture, the music industry, technology, environment, and the influences of social online networks have made many traditional marketing and advertising models almost obsolete as grassroots and bottom-up campaigns with cred mark the new age of connecting with global youth markets. This year, Label Networks has added new information measuring the effectiveness of grassroots sponsorship, marketing, and the digital lifestyle of the marketplace towards providing greater understanding for those working within the savvy markets of youth + street culture.

Overall, the North American Youth Culture Study—Fall Report ‘07 tells a new story about today’s generation and the future which is both incredibly exciting and very telling about where certain opportunities exist and why.

Highlights from the North American Youth Culture Study—Fall Report ’07 include:

T-shirt Size of Market, Price Points, + Spending Patterns indicate changes in market opportunities, particularly among 13-19-year-olds males
Favorite fashion brands show new stars on the block + why this is happening in specific locations
Sneaker culture while dominated by Nike LTD drops + influenced by blogger reports in the past, is experiencing a fast change as certain coveted kicks no longer matter and others are on the rise
Electronic purchase changes indicate cell phone music listening features to be a motivating factor in the marketplace in the near future
Grassroots Sponsorship--Special reports measuring the Effectiveness of Grassroots Sponsorship, Word-of-Mouth, + New Media give away what works and what fails in attracting youth culture
Hispanic youth market carries it’s own subcultures in fashion + particularly sports—which is where market opportunities exist for certain industries
Video gaming preferences for games such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution has opened the floodgates to a new marketplace among females
Emo vs. Screamo, Punk, + New Rap/Hip-Hop artists + bands from summer season tours provide new sources of influence in fashion, hairstyles, accessories, and communication patterns via specific text languages
Rise of Mod, Rave, Rock-a-billy—re-inventions of classic periods changed up for today’s generation give new meaning to style, cars, and even colors
Mad potential of women’s sneaker market quantified with shifts in buying habits, brand preferences, online shopping patterns, + sneaker-freaker female-friendly sites indicating retailers need to step-up
Stores take another hit as the leading source for “finding out about new fashion trends and styles” but virtual picks up
War + school shootings increases DIY spirit: 68.9% of 13-25-year-olds believe a shooting like Virginia Tech could happen in their schools + that only they themselves can take care of their futures today
Top Future Concerns: Females now rank Success higher than males with growing passion + motivation to do more than what previous generations accomplished

The North American Youth Culture Study--Fall Report ’07 includes actionable results, regarding fashion, (with special reports on denim, T-shirts, + footwear), spending patterns, technology + electronics, video gaming, music, action sports, individual + team sports, entertainment patterns, marketing + advertising effectiveness, lifestyle traits, Internet patterns + social networks, cell phones, new media, future concerns, attitudes, changing styles, + influences. The subscription package also includes:

Profile Reports: In-depth quantitative and qualitative reports of leading segments of youth culture market trends, including The Digital Lifestyle Report, Humanitarian Youth Culture Study (green marketing), Hispanic/Latino Profile Report, + The Sponsorship Profile Report
Weekly Analysis from our global field research network to provide greater details about fresh news, reviews of street fashion trends, music, sports, festivals, underground magazines, events, retail hotspots, + emerging subcultures
The Spring + Fall Report: Covering a wide-range of topics including historical patterns and information, primary data, charts, graphs cross-tabulated by gender, age: 13-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-25
Macro Trend Summaries detailing high-level trends written in an easy-to-understand format about the changing landscape of the marketplace within each topic
Street Photography depicting leading-edge trends in fashion, footwear, sports, accessories, attitudes, tattoos, and style
Label Networks TV: Video clips with in-depth interviews with up-and-coming designers, retailers, musicians, artists

For thought-leaders looking to maximize their business strategies as they pertain to the youth + street marketplace, the North American Youth Culture Study—Fall Report ‘07 provides authentic information, data, analysis, pictures, and historical trending information tracking the cultural threads of influence impacting the wealthiest new generation in history. For subscription information, or for our Global Package, including Europe, Japan, China, call (323) 630-4000; info@labelnetworks.com; www.labelnetworks.com.

Data for the North American Youth Culture Study—Fall Report ‘07 has a Confidence Level of 95% with a Margin of Error of +/- 2.5%.

About Label Networks:Label Networks, Inc.is a leading global youth + street culture intelligence media company authentically measuring the most trendsetting subcultures in the world. Launched in 2000 to bridge the gap between the youth + street culture marketplace and the lack of useful, fast research about the fast-changing landscape, Label created new methods to gain constantly fresh quantitative and qualitative data about the marketplace accurately and quickly with a combination of remote data-acquisition and analysis systems, and a credible network of Global Street Culture Experts who seek insight from new subcultures. Together, Label measures and reports about street + youth culture, providing a platform for undiscovered brands, and inspiration, data, and analysis for those needing to step-up their business strategies. Global Youth + Street Culture Studies include North America, Europe, Japan, + China, plus Profiles on Hispanic/Latino Market Report; Euro Mobile Technology Report, Digital Lifestyle Report; Sponsorship Report; + Humanitarian Study; Clients: Apple Computer, K-Swiss, Reebok, Timberland, Adidas, Motorola, Nokia, Footlocker, Oakley, Spy Optic, O’Neill Europe, DC Shoes, AT&T, plus many specialty boutiques, up-and-coming brands, and various non-profits. Contact: Label Networks, Inc., 13101 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA90066; (323) 630-4000; info@labelnetworks.com; www.labelnetworks.com.

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