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 February 9th, 2009
Many people have wrongly classified Millennials and other young professionals as lazy and self-centered, but I believe this stereotype results from this generation defining success differently than previous generations. Unlike their predecessors, this group has been taught to push the envelope and not simply define success as receiving the golden watch after 25 plus years of service at a company. Millennials have watched their parents work 9-5 each day, only to be later downsized and out of work 20 years into their careers, and as a result, young professionals have expanded their definition of success to places outside of work. A young professional’s accomplishments in their career are only a small piece of the total picture, which now encompasses personal growth, constant learning, a strong family life, and a sense of accomplishment when everything is said and done. Millennials want to blaze their own path and most especially control their own destiny. As Mr. Michael Malone writes in his article “The Next American Frontier” (Wall Street Journal, May 19, 2008), the Millennials have become a generation of entrepreneurs. Continue Reading »
Brett February 3rd, 2009
Has your mom ever nagged you for being online or playing video games for too long?? Well you are in luck because new research shows that internet savvy Gen Ys (or those who use technology most frequently) see a two fold increase in brain activity when searching on the internet compared with non tech people. Internet savvy participants also had increased activity in the frontal cortex or decision making part of the brain.
Gary Small, a neuroscientist, believes that the increased brain activity allows Millennials to successfully multitask. So when it appears that Gen Ys are ignoring you while listening to their Ipods, Dr. Small theorizes that Millennials might just have the ability to listen to both the Ipod and the speaker. He says the key is not to judge how young professionals and students learn, but rather understand that these people have adjusted to the incredible technology revolution we have experienced over the past 20 years and therefore take in information differently.
On a side note, I have heard that a genius like Einstein only used 50% of his brain, and some people have suggested that the percentage of brain used has a positive correlation with intelligence. A question I am wondering, and would like to hear some comments on is: do you think that because Gen Ys use more of their brain when using technology that they are smarter than non tech oriented people?
Links:
cbs news story
cbs blog article on Gen Ys
Brett December 10th, 2008
Corporations have had an incredible reluctance to embrace Web 2.0 technology, especially programs employees download on their own. In most cases these decisions to limit the technology affect the organization’s Millennials and other young professionals who typically use these tools. In some regards their fears are well founded: they do not want sensitive data migrating outside their intranet (an opening for hackers) or a loss of worker productivity from using these applications such as Facebook, AIM, etc.
Unfortunately, times have changed. In a global work environment where technology, news, and information move so quickly, employees need many of the tools to keep up with the massive amounts of data. In the emerging real-time corporate world, employees must have access to these applications in order to be part of the 24/7 public opinion conversation. The impenetrable firewall; however, many corporations institute stifles and restricts employee movement on the internet, and prevents employees from exercising flexibility or judgment about what is and is not appropriate. Continue Reading »
