Best Buy Unveils New Social Change Platform on Eve of Presidential Election to Give Teens a Voice
- First IMO Survey Reveals Teens More Troubled by Economy Than War
- 80 Percent Say They Want to Sit Down With McCain and Obama
MINNEAPOLIS--(Business Wire)--
Most teens do not have a vote, so @15, a new teen-led social
change platform underwritten by Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), has been launched
to give them a voice. Today, with the release of the first in a series
of quarterly @15 IMO (shorthand for "In My Opinion") polls, teens will
be heard. Best Buy also announced it is inviting teens to help direct
its philanthropy through the newly-created @15 Fund, which teens will
execute to help fund social change projects.
The first @15 IMO survey, conducted in September 2008, reveals
that the majority (80 percent) of U.S. teens feel like they aren't
heard by adults in general. Seventy percent of the group is
"'pessimistic' about the future," while more than 60 percent of the
13-17 year-olds who participated in the IMO feel that the economy is
the top issue the presidential candidates should be discussing. Teens
also say they fear that the recent Wall Street bailout will have
repercussions for years to come - and that the younger generation will
be left holding the bag for the decisions adult leaders are making
today.
The poll was conducted nationally using the online media and
social networks that teens use regularly to share their thoughts.
Other @15 IMO highlights include:
-- The vast majority of teen respondents (80 percent) would like
to sit down with the two U.S. presidential candidates to help
them understand what's important to teens.
-- The majority of teens surveyed are closely following the
presidential race, males and older teens in particular; less
than 25 percent say they aren't following the race much at
all.
-- Older teens - in particular, males - have a greater interest
in becoming involved in the political process than females and
younger teens.
-- Teens feel their own parents pay as much attention to their
opinions on important issues as their friends do (about one in
four say "a lot"). They also say teachers pay more attention
than elected officials, but considerably less than their own
parents and friends.
"Today's teens are compassionate, caring and concerned about the
same things that face all Americans, especially the direction of our
country," said Brian Dunn, president and COO, Best Buy Co., Inc. and
champion of @15. "That's why we're tapping our employees, our
technology, and our social media expertise, to bring forward the
voices of teens nationwide for a conversation about key issues that
impact them and their future. And we're going to give them the
opportunity to direct how our charitable giving can make a real
difference. This is more than just a forum for teens - it's a
movement. And we're inviting all teens to visit www.at15.org and join
in the conversation."
The @15 Fund, designed to empower teens to direct Best Buy
resources to teen-led projects, will be implemented in its first year
through a partnership with Youth Venture, a leading nonprofit that
believes in the power of individuals as change-makers. Youth Venture
and Best Buy have created the @15 Challenge, through which 300 new
teen-led social ventures will receive $1,000 seed funding. In
addition, teens nationwide will have the opportunity in January 2009
to vote online and select 15 current Venture Teams to receive $10,000
grants. Teams that are chosen will display the greatest creativity,
community impact and the clearest vision of how to create sustainable
change.
"When Best Buy told us they wanted to partner and develop a
program that seeks to give today's teen a voice and opportunities to
tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges - from climate
change to health and education - we were thrilled," said Gretchen
Zucker, executive director, Youth Venture. "We are very excited about
the @15 platform and supporting teens in making their voices heard,
strengthening their neighborhoods, schools and communities and, in
essence, changing the world."
About @15
Best Buy believes in the power of teens, and @15 is a new platform
to connect with them, give voice to their perspectives, and invest our
resources - including the energy and talents of our employees - to
turn their ideas into action and support their efforts to lead social
change. Teens bring passion and enthusiasm to tackling tough issues.
They're also important to our business - they shop in our stores, and
they're our future employees. There's a real opportunity to listen to
- and learn from - what teens have to say. And through the @15 Fund,
we'll put the philanthropic power of @15 directly into their hands. To
learn more, visit www.at15.org.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China,
Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) is a multinational retailer of technology and
entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and
innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships
collectively generates more than $40 billion annual revenue and
includes brands such as Best Buy, Audiovisions, The Carphone
Warehouse, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star, Magnolia Audio
Video, Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers, The Phone House and
Speakeasy. Approximately 165,000 employees apply their talents to help
bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers
through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home
solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities.
Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best
Buy. In fiscal 2008, we donated a combined $31.8 million to improve
the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live
and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit
www.bestbuyinc.com.
Best Buy
Kelly Groehler, 612-291-6115
kelly.groehler@bestbuy.com
or
Weber Shandwick
Amanda Wolbrom, 212-445-8230
awolbrom@webershandwick.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
