Brett May 4th, 2009
I found an interesting article the other day in the Wall Street Journal titled “Ford Takes Online Gamble with New Fiesta” regarding Ford’s new efforts to court Millennial consumers. The company has chosen one hundred Gen Yers to drive their new Ford Fiesta and post their reviews of the car online through video sites like YouTube. While Ford will have no control over the postings of these viewers, the company realizes that in order to break into the sub-compact market that their rivals dominate, the company could not do business as usual. Their answer to let the product speak for itself instead of trying to manipulate the message is an interesting one. While Ford has pre-screened the sample, I think the fact that such a brand oriented company is relinquishing any control of the marketing message marks a sharp shift in Ford’s approach to win over Millennials. Continue Reading »
Brett April 13th, 2009
We always hear that Millennials are different, and that their constant online interaction is changing the very way they interact. However, I do not know if I believe all of the hype. While older generations may not understand Gen Y’s methods, they should realize that these new communication tools enable people to connect faster and more efficiently than ever before. No longer do countless teenagers and young adults have to miss each other while trying to catch a movie a la an episode of Seinfeld, and can instead always find their friends on Loopt. Also, even though it seems that Millennials are always texting on their phones, a recent OTX study shows that hanging out with friends, going out with a girlfriend/boyfriend, and listening to music are a Millennial’s top activities. Going online, using social media applications, and texting do not even appear on this list, which means the stereotype of Gen Y losing themselves to the online morass must be off.
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Brett October 28th, 2008
We’ve heard for years about the ‘Tweeners’. Those kids who are too young to be teenagers, but aspire to be like them. They have been a marketer’s little slice of heaven. Through targeted marketing campaigns that played on their anxiety and desire to be older, corporations have been able to create blockbuster products like Hannah Montana.
While the Tweeners are today a widely recognized group, another demographic has begun to develop on the other side of the spectrum: young professionals between the age of 21-30. This might strike everyone as incredibly odd, but in fact if you look closely, this age group is in as much a transition as the original Tweeners. Even though very few people talk about it, the tail end of Gen X and the beginning of Generation Y is currently in the middle of an incredible evolution. Continue Reading »
