BUZZ NEWS

Generation Y: connectivity and enjoyment

Posted on January 25, 2008
Cordula Werle

The "Millennials" are here

Generation Y is taking over. The generation of “Millennials” aged between 18 and 35 are finally putting their footprint in, and profoundly changing marketplaces around the world. These young adults are highly IT-literate, they speak several languages and are ready to do whatever it takes to immerse themselves in fertile markets.

Although a huge part of the world’s population in this age trench cannot take part in this movement. This is due to poverty and access to information/education. The "Millenials" are however not a minority: in China alone they constitute a force of over 200 million (!) people. In Eastern and Southern Europe they are the first post-communist/post-dictatorship generation, in “newly rich” countries such as South Korea, they are the first generation to have grown up in a stable, peaceful environment.

So what are they like these gen “Why”-ers?

Accustomed to an almost constant connectivity, to them, the world seems virtually borderless. They have very high expectations for their own respective futures, and believe that all is there for them to seize, and not the other way around. In their eyes, life can be customized and retrofitted to their specific whims, wants and needs. Demanding and optimistic, they seek “real time” engagement. They are conscious of social and environmental issues (because of the technologies that they grew up with). Even though consumption rules them, they appreciate it when companies are environmentally and socially responsible.

Keen on self-fulfillment, they want to put their personal stamp on something. This desire is very eloquently phrased by the slogan “Express yourself” used in Xerox’s recruitment program. Part of this self-expression is reflected in the huge popularity of social networking sites (Pew research found that at least 54% of 18 to 25 year olds have used one, and 44% have created their own profiles). Sharing information through these kinds of networks is as natural to generation why-ers as brushing their teeth.

Contrary to their parents, for whom “the job” dictated everything, for generation why-ers, enjoyment comes first. They choose where and what kind of lifestyles they want to lead and then choose their careers accordingly.

Now these young, well-off adults are pushing their ways into the market. Effective communication directed at them seems to be an increasingly large occupation and challenge for companies.

What do brands have to keep in mind?

First of all they need to keep up an ongoing two-way conversation. Remember that this generation seeks an extremely high level of engagement, not only with the brands they buy, but also with their employers. According to brand communication strategist Patt Coxingham, brands will benefit “by approaching this group as a social brand community that will increasingly share and communicate over mobile technologies, with new intuitive touch screen interfaces. Brands as well as companies will have to evolve to offer a high degree of flexibility to interest Gen Why-ers in working for them as well as innovative ways to hold together this relationship in many decentralized locations.”

For this generation, life is a seamless experience, but they are also willing to be productive – in their own, ’flexible’ terms, where multitasking is a norm.

Brands will have to learn how to blend market, work and life to keep this generation interested. We are curious to see the creative measures that communication and HR departments will come up with in order to do so.