Teens share their dreams in Best Buys' new campaign supporting tech centers initiative

Dive Brief:

Best Buy rolled out a campaign profiling the teens who participate in the retailer's Teen Tech Centers, a year-round program that teaches tech skills to youth in underserved areas, per a news release.
The campaign features Tez, Naje and Latrell, high school students who attend the company's Teen Tech Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They share their experiences in their own words in a series of videos that each tell a personal story of how they're pursuing music, photography and other dreams despite challenges. The videos will appear across owned and paid media channels, and on Best Buy'ss dedicated site for the campaign.
Best Buy will have 21 centers across the country by September that provide tech tools, training and mentorship. The company plans to have 60 centers in in the U.S., Canada and Mexico by 2020, and serve 20,000 teens each year.

Dive Insight:

By spotlighting real-life teenagers and their aspirations, Best Buy's latest campaign could come across as more authentic with consumers and raise awareness for the retailer's philanthropic efforts. Given the timing, the company is also likely looking to drive awareness and sales ahead of the key back-to-school shopping period.

While most retailers have struggled to keep up with e-commerce players like Amazon, Best Buy has continued to show strong performance, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. The retailer reported a 5.6% increase in comparable sales last year and a 9% lift during the holiday shopping season, which, like back-to-school season, is a crucial performance window.

Best Buy has helped distinguished its brand through offerings like Geek Squad, its in-home repair and installation agents, per Bloomberg. It plans to expand its Geek Squad Academy to help educate teens about technology. Consumers, especially millennials and Gen Zers, are viewed as being more tech-savvy and increasingly expect brands to support the causes that are important to them.

Purpose-driven efforts like Best Buy's in support of teen tech education can also increase brand valuation. Businesses with a concrete sense of brand purpose can grow twice as fast as those without one, according to a recent analysis by Kantar Consulting.