Reposted from Digby’s Mobile Retail Blog
At the risk of being considered a traitor by my fellow Generation X’ers, I am not ashamed to admit that I have a fascination with the Millennial Generation. In a recent blog, I bragged about how this group of young men and women born roughly between 1980 and 2000 have completely changed the way we live, shop and communicate. I work with Millennials, and I have learned as much (if not more) from them as they have learned from me.
So much has been written about this “tribe” of techno-savvy, confident, determined and goal-oriented young adults – it almost seems as though Millennials have that magical Midas touch – especially when it comes to their significant contributions to the success of mobile and social media technologies. Check out these recent stats:
- Millennials love mobile marketing and commerce: According to a RadiumOne report, mobile users between the ages of 18 to 34 are strongly receptive to mobile ads, with 47 percent having clicked on a mobile ad in the past three months. The same report also stated that 50 percent of those respondents used their smart phones to share offers such as coupons, sales and ads with friends. The rate of sharing was one to three times per month for 31 percent of respondents, three to six times per month for 16 percent and more than six times for three percent. Lastly, in a recent survey by The Search Agency, the majority of 18- to 34-year-old consumers, 53%, are more likely to make online purchases during work hours.
- Social Media is Still King of Communication, but Millennials are Mindful: No doubt about it, Millennials love social media. According to Pew Research, 75 percent of Millennials participate in social networking, and more than 20 percent have uploaded video of themselves to the web. Scarborough Research recently reported that Millennials are 53 percent more likely than all U.S. adults to feel that social media sites are very important for finding information about news and current events. When it comes to Twitter, Millennials are still its #1 fan – more than 30 percent of 18-34 olds use Twitter. However, when it comes to these platforms, Millennials are very well-aware that sharing too much on Facebook and Twitter can bring about negative repercussions such as costing them a job opportunity or college acceptance.
Which brings me to my next point – while doing research for this blog, another trend that I noticed within the Millennial generation is that they seem to be growing up, and maturing. In a recent Forbes article by Barry Salzberg, global CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limite says, “…many millennials are not driven by money or success in quite the way their parents were. This generation wants to know what your organization stands for in improving society, what it stands for in action, as opposed to blowing smoke. Millennials want to know how they will make a positive difference in the world if they join your business, not by wearing a colorful T-shirt on a special project once a year but in their actual work.”
In the recent presidential election, the Millennial Generation made its mark yet again. According to The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), 23 million, or 50% of, young people voted in this election. According to The Hill, “This rate of turnout can now be considered ‘the new normal’ for young Americans. This is the third presidential election in a row with turnout around 50%.” Bottom line – Millennials want their voices heard.
Millennials are eating out less, perhaps a trend to live healthier lifestyles and save their hard-earned dollars for exciting trips to Europe or down payments for modest homes and cars.
Whatever your opinion of Milliennials, you can’t deny this group of savvy individuals are a force to be reckoned with. What do you think will be the hottest millennial trends in 2013?
Catherine Seeds is the Vide President of Ketner Group, a PR and marketing communications agency headquartered in Austin, TX.
Photo Credit: Study Breaks College Media
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