JupiterResearch has found that an increasing number of retailers are using social media to target teens and young adults during the 2008 back-to-school shopping season. As a result, social media has emerged as an important marketing platform as many retailers use the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook to carry-out their marketing campaigns.

"The back-to-school season has grown in importance for retailers and leads into the all important fourth quarter sales period," explained Patti Freeman Evans, Research Director and Online Retail Analyst at JupiterResearch. "With the shaky economy expected to impact the amount of money consumers spend on back-to-school shopping, retailers are using social media to capture the attention of younger consumers."

Retailers are experimenting with a variety of Web 2.0 technologies to host their back-to-school marketing campaigns, including the use of virtual worlds, social networks, social shopping sites, visual search engines, interactive video content, and widgets.

To promote its two new clothing lines, department store J.C.Penney created an online game called "DorkDodge" in which a girl has to navigate through a number of undesirable boyfriends to find her dream date. The retailer also launched an integrated marketing campaign showing teens how they can "get that look" with an array of clothing brands sold at J.C.Penney stores, featuring the theme of "The Breakfast Club."

A similar campaign by Sears features actress Vanessa Hudgens from the TV movie "High School Musical" playing characters who represent different styles that can be recreated from clothing sold by Sears.

Retailers like Victoria's Secret and Apple also value relationships with universities as college-aged consumers are a key demographic. Victoria's Secret partnered with 33 universities to launch Pink's Collegiate Collection, a series of shirts, accessories and sports gear cross-branded with names, colors and mascots from participating universities. As part of Apple's back-to-school promotion, students and faculty of an accredited university receive a free iPod with the purchase of a computer.

According to David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch, "Retailers experimenting with Web 2.0 experiences will largely find benefit from them in the form of branding and awareness building rather than direct sales as social media has shown little direct impact on actual online retail sales."