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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/28/millennials-generation-social-media-marketers
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| The Snapchat generation marketers are desperate to reach | The Snapchat generation marketers are desperate to reach |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Millennials (those born between the 1980s and early 1990s) and their younger successors, Generation Z (those born after 2000), are a multi-billion pound market for brands. Their sheer numbers gives them enormous buying power as a generation and marketers are scrambling to get a slice of the pie. | Millennials (those born between the 1980s and early 1990s) and their younger successors, Generation Z (those born after 2000), are a multi-billion pound market for brands. Their sheer numbers gives them enormous buying power as a generation and marketers are scrambling to get a slice of the pie. |
| In the same way the youth of the 1970s and 1980s broke the rules by smoking behind the bike sheds, the youth of today have the same penchant for evading the watchful eyes of their parents. The difference is that these generations are doing it online. What "it" entails can be left to your imagination, but if you can think of it, young people are probably doing it. | In the same way the youth of the 1970s and 1980s broke the rules by smoking behind the bike sheds, the youth of today have the same penchant for evading the watchful eyes of their parents. The difference is that these generations are doing it online. What "it" entails can be left to your imagination, but if you can think of it, young people are probably doing it. |
| Digital-savvy entrepreneurs | |
| Millennials were the crash test dummies during the advent and rise of social media. They were thrown into a dark, unregulated, undisciplined cesspit and told to find their own way. Which they did. Sure, there were scandals, but there were also incredible things to emerge from the chaos. The millennial generation has been shaped by the digital age in which they grew up. The result is a generation of millennials known for their digital savvy, entrepreneurial spirit and somewhat lax regard for personal privacy. | |
| Whole swathes of websites and apps have been developed with the sole intention of allowing young people to evade the attention of their parents. Secret, Whisper and Snapchat allow just that. The aforementioned platforms have a limited time-span, after which there will be something new that takes parental evasion to the next level. Nothing has ever been cool when you have the permission of your parents and technology will continue to adapt to accommodate this. Crucially, this is where the money is. | Whole swathes of websites and apps have been developed with the sole intention of allowing young people to evade the attention of their parents. Secret, Whisper and Snapchat allow just that. The aforementioned platforms have a limited time-span, after which there will be something new that takes parental evasion to the next level. Nothing has ever been cool when you have the permission of your parents and technology will continue to adapt to accommodate this. Crucially, this is where the money is. |
| Tech-confident parents | |
| Generation Z has benefitted from having their predecessors grow up before them; millennials made the mistakes from which to learn. The parents of Generation Z are also faster to the bandwagon than the baby-boomer parents of the millennials, who were ill-equipped to advise their kids about online threats such as trolls, bullying and sexting. The parents and teachers of Generation Z have had more time to acclimatise and they're arming their war chest in preparation. | |
| The result is a range of new products that have better privacy and security measures than public networks. Schools are getting more involved online to help with surveillance, guidance and mediation. Private social media networks, like Yammer, are being used in schools so that teachers and parents can monitor what the kids get up to. Of course, this doesn't mean that young people will want, or choose, to use these more secure options, but perhaps it will help to extend their innocence by a few more years. | The result is a range of new products that have better privacy and security measures than public networks. Schools are getting more involved online to help with surveillance, guidance and mediation. Private social media networks, like Yammer, are being used in schools so that teachers and parents can monitor what the kids get up to. Of course, this doesn't mean that young people will want, or choose, to use these more secure options, but perhaps it will help to extend their innocence by a few more years. |
| Within the generations there are vast differences between individuals and their internet preferences. Many are seeking niche social networks to explore their own unique hobbies. Whether it be gaming, cooking or coding, there's a specialised social network for it. These niche platforms are a marketer's dream because they provide access to a captive audience of like-minded consumers. It is thus in the interest of technologists to roll out more of these specialised networks and we'll see a lot more of this in the future. | Within the generations there are vast differences between individuals and their internet preferences. Many are seeking niche social networks to explore their own unique hobbies. Whether it be gaming, cooking or coding, there's a specialised social network for it. These niche platforms are a marketer's dream because they provide access to a captive audience of like-minded consumers. It is thus in the interest of technologists to roll out more of these specialised networks and we'll see a lot more of this in the future. |
| Multi-tasking, multi-screen users | |
| One consistency between the niche platforms is the collaborative nature of today's users. They want to interact and connect with each other to get things done more efficiently. They are achieving this through live streaming videos via platforms like Ustream or by talking to friends on FaceTime while going about their other business online. They are masters of multitasking – many use multiple screens and multiple devices in unison. Coding, gaming and cooking isn't done alone anymore; young people are doing it on Skype and sharing the results with friends. | |
| Despite new devices and technologies hitting the market daily and the drastic changes to how young people go about their lives, the underlying motivations of young people remain constant over time. Teenagers will always be teenagers and they will continue to seek out the forbidden fruit. Young people want to be among other young people or part of a crowd; they desperately want to be cool. | Despite new devices and technologies hitting the market daily and the drastic changes to how young people go about their lives, the underlying motivations of young people remain constant over time. Teenagers will always be teenagers and they will continue to seek out the forbidden fruit. Young people want to be among other young people or part of a crowd; they desperately want to be cool. |
| Only one thing is inevitable for the technology: change will be the new constant. 3 | Only one thing is inevitable for the technology: change will be the new constant. 3 |
| Natalie Waterworth is a millennial engagement expert and co-founder of Talented Heads – follow her on Twitter @n_waterworth | Natalie Waterworth is a millennial engagement expert and co-founder of Talented Heads – follow her on Twitter @n_waterworth |