Youth Culture Study Reveals Recession Impact and New Market Trends in Fashion, New Media, Sports, Entertainment, Spending, Lifestyle Traits

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May 18, 2009, Los Angeles, CA--Fresh research released today from Label Networks' 9th biannual North American Youth Culture Study reveals how the recession combined with the hope of a new President, plus significant changes in new media, communication patterns, technology, and spending, are effecting young people ages 13-25-years-old and how they're flipping and creating new trends based on such changes.

"We've seen huge drops in popular brand names that are free-falling during this recession and others that have found new answers to attracting youth markets," explains Tom Wallace, President of Label Networks, the world's leading global youth culture intelligence media company, and producer of the North American Youth Culture Study 2009. "The game is different now. Everything you thought about before in marketing and branding is being redefined based on how this new generation is going to spend and what they're going to do."

Topics covered include 13-25-year-olds' changes in spending patterns, top fashion, footwear, T-shirts, and denim brands, changes in retailer preferences and impacts of fast-fashion, pop-up, boutiques, plus clever insight into the competitive beverages and energy drink marketplace, communication patterns and preferences via cell phones, TV, movies, actors, top websites, top online retail sites, plus the effect of changes in music subcultures, action sports vs. team vs. individual sports, entertainment shifts, video gaming preferences including platforms, plus how the environment, new media, electronics, and technology are leveling the playing field and engaging this new youth culture demographic in a variety of important new ways.

"With such significant changes in the economy, our Youth Culture Study 2009 has become even more vital for brands needing to stay several steps ahead of market changes," continues Wallace. "And because our Studies are more affordable than many other youth intelligence companies, and yet offer far more information in comparison, we've been able to attract today's original thinkers in branding and marketing. Label Networks is truly a network, providing our subscribers not just one-off reports, but on-going access to daily news and insights about the global youth culture landscape, which creates an on-going dialogue with new leaders and up-and-coming players in several different industries, keeping the loop of information from new youth markets to brands and back again tight and effective," explains Wallace.

Highlights from the North American Youth Culture Study 2009 include:

Spending patterns on a variety of categories with comparisons to the last 6 months covering where youth are spending more or holding back and why
Favorite fashion brands indicating new directions and lifestyle changes and why this is happening in specific locations
T-shirt size of market, price points, and spending patterns, plus graphic directions
Denim brands that are capturing marketshare since the recession and where the most effective price points per volume are based, plus design, color, wash, and silhouette trends
Sneaker culture as influenced by youth preferences and those that no longer resonate and others are on the rise
Electronic purchasing patterns indicating just how important this category is within overall spending and its impact on the digital lifestyle of this market
Social Networking indicators within specific niche sites perpetuating the rise of trends in self-expression, communication, + spending patterns, plus more on new media, Twitter, IM/Chat, and texting
Action sports popularity shifts, team sports, individual sports, and lifestyle indicators, icons and watching patterns
New Media, Social Networks, Gaming indicate extremely viral market opportunities and changes in perceptions among youth culture in China
Changes in retail and the new spirit of shopping experiences among youth culture
Retail landscape measuring big-box, fast fashion stores with boutiques, and online retailing trends
Grassroots and New Media effectiveness and what works now
Video gaming preferences that are opening the floodgates to a new marketplace, plus platforms and changes in the marketplace
New top music preferences and the sources of influence in fashion, hairstyles, accessories, and communication patterns
Mad potential of certain markets and why, quantified with shifts in buying habits, brand preferences, online shopping patterns, new meaning of authenticity
Top Future Concerns and perceptions of Success, Happiness, Environment, Money tapping into new psychodemographics of today's youth culture

The North American Youth Culture Study 2009 is part of Label Networks' Premium Global Youth Culture Subscription, which also includes:

Daily Updates providing fresh news, reviews, trends, fashion, music, sports, festivals, media, events, retail hotspots, + emerging subcultures
Spring + Fall Youth Culture Studies, plus European, Japan, China Youth Culture Studies: Carefully edited with top key new findings, including historical patterns + information, primary data, charts, graphs including cross-tabulations by gender + age groups
Macro Trend Summaries detailing high-level analysis for quick snapshots of key trends within specific topics
Street Photography depicting leading-edge trends in fashion, footwear, sports, accessories, attitudes, tattoos, + style
Quantitative Charts, Graphs, Frequencies, plus Cross-tabulations by Gender, Age Groups, Country
Historical Data + Story Access for trending + future forecasting
Label Networks TV: Exciting video clips with in-depth interviews with up-and-coming designers, retailers, musicians, artists; LNTV has been selected as a Premium Partner with YouTube with 120 LNTV clips posted to date attracting more than 300,000 viewer impressions

For thought-leaders looking to maximize their strategies as they pertain to the youth marketplace, Label Networks' North American Youth Culture Study 2009 provides authentic street-level information about the demographic profile, economic, and cultural threads of influence across one of the largest and most trendsetting markets in the world. For subscription information, email info@labelnetworks.com; or call (323) 630-4000.

About Label Networks:

Label Networks, Inc. is a leading global youth culture intelligence media company authentically measuring the most trendsetting subcultures in the world. Launched in 2000 to bridge the gap between the youth 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 using a combination of remote data-acquisition and analysis systems, and a credible network of Global Street Culture Experts who seek insight from emerging subcultures. Together, Label measures and reports about youth culture, providing inspiration, data, and analysis for those needing to step-up their future business strategies. Label Networks Premium Subscription Package includes North America Spring and Fall Studies, Europe, Japan, + China, plus Profile Reports; Clients: Apple Computer, Adidas Originals, Toyota Europe, Pacific Sunwear, Burton, Fourstar Distribution, Dickies, Sunkist, RedBull, K-Swiss, Reebok, Timberland, Fox Racing, Fuel TV/Fox Sports, Footlocker Europe, Oakley, DC, The North Face, Creative Artists Agency, Virginia Commonwealth University, plus many specialty brands + boutiques, up-and-coming brands, and non-profits. Contact: Label Networks, Inc., 400 S. Main St., #701, Los Angeles, CA90013; (323) 630-4000; mailto:youthculture@labelnetworks.com; www.labelnetworks.com.