Millennials Going Local

by Marty Predd, Research Associate, Brand Amplitude, LLC

I hate feeling like a conspiracy theorist, but that's exactly how I felt leaving the theater after seeing the movie, Food, Inc., last night.

Really? Our government subsidizes corn to the point where it sells for less than the cost of production? Corn and corn derivatives are in a vast majority of the foods available at the grocery store, including the cheapest and most unhealthy ones? Less than 10 major corporations control the vast majority of food production in this country, with less government oversight than ever? Really????

Questions like these went on and on through my head last night, reading like a bad script from an AM radio late-night talk show. As much as I hated to admit it, Food, Inc. had changed me in a big way. Having slept on it, I've come to a conclusion considerably bigger than the movie or the specific topic at hand. Call it a Millennial thing or call it a Marty thing, but embracing the local -- local products, local businesses, local relationships -- is making more sense to me than ever.

I blame a recent post on this blog ("Will Millennials be the First to Let Go of Technology?") for contributing in part to these feelings. One of the great ironies of the ever-advancing, ever-more-connected technological world we live in is the growing detachment I feel from the physical community in which I live and work. Via Facebook, instant messaging, and Twitter, I'm much 'closer' to friends (and some strangers) thousands of miles away than I am to the nice couple who lives across the hall from me.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Besides maybe a conspiracy theorist, who would argue that it's not a wonderful thing to keep in touch with old friends across the world and forge new relationships with strangers who share my interests? After all, it was this level of connectedness that allowed me to move across the country to Portland, OR without feeling like I was truly leaving my good friends from my Midwestern childhood. That's pretty remarkable.

But here's the trouble as I see it: As the first generation to have grown up in this world of virtual connectedness, technologies like instant messaging, Facebook and Twitter represent something much different to us Millennials than they do to our parents: For us, they are not merely added conveniences for keeping in touch with old friends, they've become the very mechanisms we use to forge and maintain new relationships. For me and I suspect many of my cohorts, this leads to a growing need to be 'plugged in' to feel socialized and happy.

And the more detached I become from the people living in my physical world, the easier it becomes to neglect the fairly obvious (and important) questions that our pioneer ancestors must have asked themselves daily: Where's our food coming from today? How are the neighbors? Is everyone we know safe and healthy? You know, the sort of basic questions that lead to cohesive, socialized and happy communities, independent of the fiber optic cabling running through them.

Before you roll your eyes, let me reassure you: I don't plan on 'unplugging' anytime soon, and I remain as eager as ever to buy the next iPhone or sign up for the next Twitter, and I'm instant messaging my friends as I write this. But starting today, I plan on making a concerted, if unnaturally deliberate effort to engage in the physical community that surrounds me: to support local service businesses, to buy groceries at the farmers market instead of the superstore, to say hi to the neighbors on the way out to dinner (or God forbid even invite them to join us)....generally, to give a damn about the community of people immediately surrounding me.

If this longing to rediscover the local represents a trend bigger than me (and I suspect it does), it stands to have dramatic implications for the work of Millennial marketers in the years to come.

Will Millennials Be First to Let Go Technology?

"A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world." --John le Carré, former British spy and English author

John le Carre is one of my favorite authors. His ability to weave a story and evoke a character with just a few details is remarkable. He didn't get that from sitting at a typewriter all day. If he were still alive, he might say the same thing about Google. As a portal on the world, it has both disadvantages and advantages.

There are growing indications that people are realizing media saturation is leading to media-induced stress, that activity is not the same as productivity and that technology can be a hindrance as well as a help. Millennials, as the most connected generation, may be among the first to put technology in its place in favor of simpler pleasures.

Two articles last week alone about Millennials and 'nostalgia' seem to support my premise. Last week, an article titled, "Everything old is new again to Internet Weary Young Adults" appeared in the Australian. Judging by the discussion and number of Re-Tweets it generated on Twitter, the article seems to have hit a nerve. The article reports on a study of young adult culture and concluded 16-30 year olds "pine for a less complex time."

"Communicating with friends online has lost some of its lustre even from as recently as a year ago and they now want to have more face-to-face time. And they increasingly prefer to do that at home rather than going out to noisy, potentially dangerous pubs and nightclubs. ....those still living with their parents (about half) have noticed the global financial crisis's impact on the family and pared back their lifestyle in response. It also shows their love affair with technology is heading for a break-up, with time spent online down 30 minutes a week from last year, while their consumption of newspapers increased by the same amount. Facebook and Twitter are also still on the rise, but losing some of their cachet. "

Likewise the NYT this week made a stir July 23 with an article, "Harry Potter is Their Peter Pan" describing the new nostalgia among Millennials in the U.S. The NYT attributes the longing for the comforts of their childhood to the uncertainties of life today.

“Millennials see the world before Sept. 11 as a period of innocence. Our biggest worry was the Y2K bug. That all seems a world away now.” Jeff Gordinier, the author of “X Saves the World,” a book last year that looked back at the early-90s formative years of Generation X, said, “It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Generation Y is burrowing into nostalgia in the middle of a severe recession. “Nostalgia comforts people and the Millennials are probably craving comfort right now.”

The research reported by the Australian article attributes the change in behavior and attitudes less to a longing for a simpler time than a desire for more immediate person-to person connection:

"And they want more connections with their friends that aren't digital, that are tangible. They're starting to question the authenticity of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. They want technology to assist rather than dominate the way they communicate."

I tend to agree with the Australian article. The driver is a desire for authenticity, not a return to safer more secure time. Millennials long to get out into the world and make a difference, or simply get out into the world. A newly released study by Timex on American Life and the Outdoors shows many feel trapped indoors, and struggle to find time to enjoy the outdoors. According to this study, "More than half of American adults (56%) fantasize about breaking free from their homes and offices to be outdoors, and that more than one-third expect the economy will negatively impact the time they spend outside this summer." Millennials appear to be especially affected. "Millennials (ages 18-24) spend almost 10 hours per day on the computer and socializing with friends, yet less than two hours outdoors."

As the most connected generation, I think it will be easiest for Millennials to put technology in its place. It may not be wholesale technology backlash, but longing for a simpler time and more genuine relationships may eventually diminish time spent online. Here's Melbourne clothing designer Clea Garrick, 27, on her pursuit of simpler pleasures:

"We've definitely had more dinners at our house than we normally would, including a fondue party, would you believe it?" said Ms Garrick, who is married with no children. She agreed there was now a greater emphasis among her peers for human contact rather than online connections than a year ago. "Facebook, for sure, we've dropped our usage," she said. "It's just a time-commitment issue: how do you want to be spending your time?"

Values Shift: Gen Y Sees Things Differently

There is more to this chart than meets the eye.

It is the result of a remarkable 20-year study of values by the Pew Research Center.(download entire pdf here). The latest wave of the study was conducted in April/May of 2009. This chart reveals two important findings: a decline in 'social conservatism' among specific age cohorts over time and progressively lower levels of social conservatism among each younger age cohort.

Here's how the report summarizes this chart:

"Younger age cohorts are less conservative than older ones, with Baby Boomers significantly less conservative than the Silent Generation and its predecessors, and Generation Y considerably less conservative than either the Baby Boomers or Generation X. Within age cohorts, the change over time in social conservatism is very modest, indicating that the societal change in these values is mostly a function of newer generations replacing older ones."

What that means is that Gen Y is distinct in its values from both Gen X and their largely Boomer parents. This finding was widely touted Monday, June 29, in many newspaper and online articles. Here is a sampling:

New York Daily News: "Survey shows widest generation gap among American children and their parents." A survey released Monday by the Pew Research Center shows a widening generation gap on issues ranging from religion to marriage, creating divisions not seen since generational clashes over the Vietnam War, civil rights and women’s rights 40 years ago.

Yahoo News. "Study finds widening generation gap in America." From cell phones and texting to religion and manners, younger and older Americans see the world differently, creating the largest generation gap since the tumultuous years of the 1960s and the culture clashes over Vietnam, civil rights and women's liberation.

MSNBC "Study: Generation gap in U.S. largest since ’60s." A survey Monday by the Pew Research Center highlights a widening age divide after last November's election, when 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Sounds serious! Yet, how can these headlines be reconciled with the common wisdom that Millennials get along famously with their Boomer parents? In the past, 'generation gaps' led to physical and emotional distance, but not so for this generation and their parents. Somehow, the culture wars appear to be, suddenly, over. They have apparently learned to 'mind the gap'. While they may not see eye to eye, these generations have no problem with that fact, and it's not that they are unaware of the differences in outlook; according to the Pew Study, almost eight in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger people and older people today.

The reason also has nothing to do with the nature of the differences or how strongly they are felt. Indeed, most said that the biggest differences concerned issues of morality, religion, and the social values surrounding lifestyle, family, relationships and dating -- hardly minor issues. Older people also cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.

Instead, the reason appears to have everything to do with a flourishing of 'tolerance', especially among younger people. If there is one value young adults hold above all others, it is tolerance. Apparently, this even goes for their parents.

Class of 2009: An Unscientific Profile

Journalism met ethnographic market research this week in an article in New York magazine, "Class of 2009". In four short, highly graphic pages, the article reports the findings of a survey of 200 college students and young adults.

The sample, while unabashedly unscientific, represents a range of New York schools, including NYU, Brooklyn College, the NYPD Police Academy, Wharton, Yale, and even Friends Seminary. The survey questions show a lot of imagination ('what does 'hooking up' mean to you?', 'what do your parents not understand about you?'). The result is a provocative portrait of Gen Y circa 2009.

The main finding according to the author, Emily Nussbaum, confirms that Gen Y exhibits a surprising degree of optimism. Most of those surveyed think the recession will not last more than two years, and 91% expect to be better off in five years -- even though only 58% have a job lined up post graduation.

"Nonetheless, the results of this imperfect survey were revealing. We were startled by the fact that, circumstances be damned, we found very little bitterness at all—caution, yes; worry too—but judging from the responses to our questions, this is a reflexively optimistic cadre of graduates, feeling, if anything, existentially freed up by this era of radical change. They’re nervous about the job market but figure it’ll sort itself out. They describe their parents with shocking regularity as their “best friends.” They’ve lived online for so long it’s a default setting, one they believe lends them a more global-minded perspective than that of their elders. Their tone overall was more bemused than outraged: “I’m a mixture of excited and nervous for the future,” says Forrest Petterson, a graduating senior at Friends Seminary. “But there’s no point in getting upset, because it’s not the end of the world.”"

I found the questions about Millennials attitudes toward their parents especially creative and revealing. We know that Millennials admire their moms, move back to a welcoming home when necessary and overall enjoy their parent's company. But this is the first data on how much they see themselves as like their parents. 86% say they share their parent's political views and 43% say they are 'as religious' or 'more' religious than their parents. Other highlights:

49% say they are less frugal than their parents

52% 'often' discuss money with their parents

48% 'often' discuss politics with their parents

6% 'often' discuss sex with their parents (some things apparently don't change!)

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog

A review, by Ariella Phillips, Student, University of Notre Dame, Class of 2012

"With my freeze ray, I will stop the world.....

That’s the plan/ Rule the world/ You and me/ Any day

Love your hair.”

Dr. Horrible’s Sing A Long Blog is a production that is utterly Millennial. Not quite definable, it’s a movie/blog/musical/webcast/thing. It was never shown on TV, never advertised, a case of completely out-of-the-box thinking and approach. Despite the low budget (it was made during the writers’ strike), the quality of the music and acting is top notch. And every college student has seen it.

If you haven’t seen it, here’s the link. It’s a little long (40 minutes) but if you have 10 minutes it’s worth watching through the first song, “My Freeze Ray.” In case you don’t have time, here’s why I think Dr. Horrible appeals to Millennials.

The message.

We want to change the world. We’re a little fuzzy on exactly how, but as Dr. Horrible says in the first few minutes, “the status quo is not… quo!” We’re a little innocent on this point, almost naïve. Still, we know there’s something wrong with our world, and we are going to fix it, either through Penny’s volunteering with the homeless and vegetarianism, or Dr. Horrible’s freeze ray.

The Medium.

Dr. Horrible is on OUR media, the Internet, which Millennials take special pride in. Yeah, yeah, we know our moms are on facebook now, but gosh darn it, we’re the ones who know it best. Dr. Horrible starts off talking to a computer cam, blogging his email responses on his exploits in world domination and love. If you look closely, you’ll see the remote for his heist is an iPhone. Technology is something all millennials use, know, and exploit. Even if we don’t have a transmatter ray, it’s our superpower.

The Nemesis.

Captain Hammer, the Corporate Tool, is Dr. Horrible’s "true nemesis". Captain Hammer is the ultimate boomer. Or gen X-er. Or just a jerk. But he represents everything our generation isn’t. If Millenials are trying to make a change, there is the status quo, thwarting us at every turn (Hammer: “It’s curtains for you, Dr. Horrible; lacy, gently wafting curtains”). Really, we’re sick of our Captain Hammers. Please forward the memo to all the boomers, gen X-ers, and the rest who say we can’t make a difference.

The Attitude.

Millennials are constantly struggling to prove to the rest of the world that we can make a difference, that we’re not the pampered, “everyone gets a trophy” generation, but one that will make an impact. We empathize with Dr. Horrible as he strives to show Penny he’s “not a joke, not a dork, not a failure.” Millennials who survived the gauntlet of college applications understand his anxiety to gain admission to the Evil League of Evil. Those who survived the gauntlet of the workplace understand Penny’s tale of all the times she was turned down and fired from jobs. Dr. Horrible tells Penny over frozen yogurt of wanting to do great things, and be an achiever, but it seems he just won’t be given the chance to prove it. It’s a worry of all Millenials. We just want to be given a chance to show what we can do – and we’re terrified it’ll never happen.

Conversation with Millennial Marketer, Carol Phillips

Carol Phillips answers seven questions posed by Pete Krainek of The CMO Club on advice for CMO's about marketing to Millennials.

Click here for more resources on marketing to Millennials or to learn more about our work.

(Photo: Carol Phillips and friend, Emily Fleming. Carol is President of research and consulting firm, Brand Amplitude, and teaches marketing at University of Notre Dame.

1) More and more companies are looking to engage, market and sell more effectively to Millennials. What are the most important things CMO's should consider as they develop their marketing plans?

The most important thing is to take time to truly understand their core values. It’s easy to get caught up in studying their buying behavior, media use and latest-must-have technology. But if you study their values, you will have a better idea of how to connect with them. Obama and Apple won their hearts because they ‘think’ like Milllennials.

In study after study -- on beer, education, social media, philanthropy, workplace needs and news media -- we find that understanding Millennial values helps shed light on behavior. Taking the time to really ‘get’ the way they think is well worth the effort and pays dividends in how you manage, communicate and ultimately market to them. Without those insights, the paradoxes can be baffling.

2) Who does a good job in engaging millennials and why?

Millennials love brands, but are cynical about marketing. They distrust commercial messages, so any effort must be authentic and come from a trusted source. The absolute best way to engage them is through each other. Our advice to clients is to engage them by giving them ‘social currency’, in the form of experiences and information, and then make it easy to share. Starbuck’s Red promotion at the holidays, Taco Bell’s long running late night promotion, and the Ford Fiesta car giveaway contest all have great Millennial appeal because they are about sharing. In the entertainment area, ABC Family did a great job of repositioning ‘family entertainment’ to be more Millennial-friendly.

3) What are some examples of approaches that didn't work or miss the boat?

An iconic brand currently popular with Millennials, but is due for a makeover, is Corona. Millennials love sophisticated tastes in beer, wine and spirits, and they prefer imported beer. But their idea of relaxation is not going on vacation or sitting on a beach. Relaxation is something that needs to happen every day, like watching Family Guy, throwing a frisbee to a dog or making a great meal.

Beyond specific brands, there are whole categories that are missing the boat. Millennials are literally begging wine makers to market to them. Casual restaurants also are missing an opportunity to build community around their brands. Realtors, travel and financial services need to start clueing into their future target.

4) Any myths you think out there on Millennials that CMOs should not believe as fact?

Yes, there a lot of myths. Unfortunately some of them have a grain of truth to them so it can be hard to sort out what is real and what is not. The main caution is not to make the mistake of thinking Millennials are simply younger, more techo-savvy versions of Boomers and X’ers. If you have teenagers or young adult children, you know this is true. They simply ‘think different’. Their sheer numbers make it inevitable that they will shape us – marketers and managers – more than we will shape them.

5)How has the recent economic downturn impacted Millennials and what are the implications for marketers?

Like everyone, Millennials are scared. No one knows what all those billions being spent now mean for the future. Millennials still have discretionary income no matter how poor they claim to be. And they are spending on what they consider ‘necessities’ – education, eating out, transportation, technology. But they are making big adjustments in other areas like housing, transportation and philanthropy. They are inherently cautious shoppers, and research everything before they buy. Marketers need to keep a close eye on what is being said about their brands and address issues right away. With Millennials, the line between marketing and customer service is blurring.

7)When you are hired to help marketers learn about Millennials what specific things have you been asked to do?

Consumer research is our core offering. We do a lot of online focus groups, we also have a special expertise in decision-mapping (laddering research) for which we also leverage special online tools. The projects we prefer are those where the questions and approach are still undefined so we have an opportunity to frame an approach that involves research, consulting, facilitating client worksessions, and in-market experimentation. We are about to launch a syndicated study of Millennials, food, wine, spirits and dining out.

8) What final words of advice do you have for CMOs looking to improve engagement and sales results with Millennials?

Listen to your own Millennials, at home and in the office. They will give you the best advice about how to reach others like them. We learn from our younger colleagues, our own kids and my students every day. There are also a lot of great blogs written about marketing by Millennials. Finally, its not a challenge to talk to them online – they love to talk and they literally ‘live’ online.

Who's Next for a Millennial Brand Makeover?

Gen Y is different, and not just because they are young. A 5.15.09 Christian Science Monitor article ("Do You Get The Millennial Generation?") drives this point home home: Don't "assume that the members of particular demographic groups, in this instance young people in their mid-teens through their mid-20s, behave the same and hold the same attitudes at all times." The authors of the article, Winograd and Hais, have extra credibility on this point: they were also co-authors of the prescient book, Millennial Makeover, that predicted the political shift that carried Obama and the Democrats into power last year. Their forecast was based on careful attention to changes in generational values.

Now marketers are finally catching on.

ABC Family understood the latest transformation as an opportunity, and re-directed its programming ago to better align with Millennial values. As a result, ABC Family is now attracting some of the largest Gen Y audiences on TV (see earlier post, "ABC Family, A Deft Millennial Makeover".

In contrast, MTV, the channel that literally invented youth programming 25 years ago, recognized the latest generational shift too late and now is playing catch up. According to CST, "MTV has acknowledged that its programming had become out of step with the progressive, service-oriented values of today's youth, the Millennial Generation. It was very clear we were at one of those transformational moments, when this new generation of Millennials [born between 1982 and 2003] were demanding a new MTV," a channel executive explained."

I expect this trend to accelerate, and restaurants, wine and food brands are the latest to catch on. Last week, even Kraft Foods is moving to reposition Miracle Whip to the Foodie Generation with the theme, "We are Miracle Whip. And we will not tone it down." (We will not be quiet. We will not blend in. And when we are in a salad or a sandwich or a panini or crostini, you'll know it. We are Miracle Whip." ) As might be expected from a campaign targeted to Gen Y, Adweek reports that this effort goes beyond TV advertising to incorporate social media. A Firefox plug in called 'Zingr' users to leave short, 160 character comments on various Web pages across the Internet. It's a nice play on Miracle Whip's brand promise, with the app being promoted as "the newest way to add your own flavor to the Web." Leaving a "zingr" on Kraft's site, for example, triggers this message to a user's Twitter network: "I just left a Zing! On brands.kraftfoods.com (Check it out.)

If Kraft can make Miracle Whipp relevant, who's next for a Millennial Brand Makeover? Here are some suggestions:

1. Hardware and Home Centers: As the earliest Millennials reach their thirties, home care can expected to become more of a focus for Gen Y. Hardware and home centers need to start capitalizing on Millennials' interest in eco-friendly products, green living, repair/reuse/recycle, organic gardening and more.

Financial Services: Charles Schwab is talking to Gen X, but we have seen few efforts to engage Gen Y. Gen Y will be looking for investments that align with their values of social entrepreneurism, environmental and political activism.

Travel Services: Millennials have a passion for seeing the world. As their spending power increases, they will be looking for unique travel experiences that align with their values, of 'giving back', mixing their desire to see the world with opportunities to contribute to the places they visit.

Post-Graduate Training & Education: Millennials will take lifelong learning seriously. Many Millennials see advanced degrees and training as an alternative to 'paying their dues' at work. Educational institutions would be wise to maintain relationships with alumni and stay tuned to their ambitions and desire for self-improvement even beyond college.

Millennials: How Altruistic Are They?

This week, I am invited to deliver a presentation on "Using Social Media to Connect with the Most Connected Generation" for the Association of Professional Fundraisers. My thinking was that this would be an easy topic, Social Media + Civic-minded Millennials = Golden Opportunity. It hasn't turned out quite that way.

Sure, I knew from our research among young alumni of several colleges that getting them to part with money when they have so many other demands on their resources (college loans, mobile phone bills, lattes) isn't easy. They tend to prefer causes that are close to home, emotionally and physically and they want to have a say about how the money should be used. Volunteer rates are sky high with 85% of high school students participating in volunteer activities. What I didn't know is that they are notorious difficult to motivate to donate MONEY. Need evidence? Despite average incomes of $29K, only one-third of Millennials gave $100 or more to charity in 2008 (BLB, Yankelovich Monitor, 2008).

Online giving also appears to have its issues. Research by Target Analytics, a unit of software-provider Blackbaud says 58% of non-profits use the Internet for fundraising. Yet when it analyzed data for twelve organizations, they discovered people who go online to donate to a charity for the first time, such as after a disaster, often do not return to make additional gifts. Of those who do, 37 percent never made another gift via the Interne and instead favor other channels for giving.

An article in the Washington Post, 4.22.09 titled "To Non-profits seeking cash, Facebook App Not So Green", reported these discouraging facts about charitable giving on Facebook:

"More than 25 million of Facebook’s 200 million worldwide members have signed on as supporters of at least one cause, making it the third-most popular of the more than 52,000 applications on the site …

But just 185,000 members have ever contributed through the site.

The median gift through Causes is $25.

The majority of Causes’ participants have received no donations through the site.

Fewer than 50 of the 179,000 groups on Causes have raised $10,000

Despite this discouraging news, I think social media offers great promise for non-profits seeking to engage Gen Y in their cause. They grew up with the Internet and will expect social community features on non-profit web sites. Non-profits that develop strategies for engaging them now will have an important edge in the future, when they are less economically pressed and more willing to donate money. Meanwhile, organizations can use a social networking community to keep Millennials involved and encourage them to actively participate in other ways, which may even lead to cash down the road.

Tomorrow: Strategies for Using Social Media to Engage Millennials in Non-Profit Communities.

Millennials: Not Lazy, Just Misunderstood

Of all the criticisms leveled at Gen Y in the workplace, the one that stings the most is 'lazy'. Overconfident. Ambitious. Entitled. They can live with those criticisms. But Gen Y knows in its overachieving heart it is anything but "lazy".

True, they readily acknowledge they do not want to work 2000 billable hours a year, and this reality has created resentment on both sides of the generational divide. Adrian Dayton, a young attorney I met on Twitter, posted an interesting dialog today in his blog, Marketing Strategy & The Law. It reports a panel discussion among Millennial attorneys and their bosses. This dialog illustrates very well just how wide the gap in understanding can be:

“Generation Y is entitled, lazy, selfish, tech savvy, and incompetent,” is how Scott Greenfield, one of the finest criminal defense attorneys in NY, started off the panel.

“I spent years as an associate, I hit all my metrics- but I didn’t want to become partner. It's no secret that focusing on making as much money as possible ruined many of these older partners’ personal lives.” said Anthony Zana, he is now Corporate Counsel for Intergraph Corporation- where he left behind the billable hour.“I’ve seen too many successful partners on their 3rd and 4th marriage- and I did not want that to be me."

“I think the problem is that they don’t know how to work, our firm has hired 15 attorneys in the last few years from Generation Y, and not one of them is still working for us.” said Moderator, Dan Hull.

“Well, I have had a totally different experience at my firm. As far as I can tell when I give greater flexibility to my Gen-Y attorneys, they are willing to repay it ten-fold, and make the sacrifices that are needed,” said panel member William P. Morelli, General Counsel at Ingram Industries Inc. in Nashville.

“Flexibility? I built this firm, I’m not going to let Gen Y dictate the terms of their employment.” Scott Greenfield fired back. “Generation Y uses this term life-balance as an excuse for their incompetence.”

Moderator Dan Hull agreed, “We have a very clear written policy at our firm, work - life balance is the attorney’s problem, not the firm’s.”

At this point I raised my hand, “If an attorney works 2,000-2,400 billable hours a year, there is not much room left for balance.”

“But the attorney that works over 2,000 hours a years, is going to learn to be a pretty damn good attorney,” replied Dan.

Boomer and X'er bosses view unwillingness to sacrifice as 'laziness'. Yet Gen Y is not willing to concede that just because they seek balance, they are any less committed. According to Adrian, they are just as motivated, but their goal is different. "We are not motivated by money. At least not as much as our parents were. The currency we are most interested in is lifestyle. Some of us are brilliant and hard working, but you have to dangle the right carrot in front of us."

So what is that 'right carrot'? Money? Time Off?

No, it's Voice. And Context.

This week, I've had the pleasure of talking with three hardworking Millennials. Each has agreed to accompany me to The CMO Summit in New York on May 19 and we've been preparing what to say. The panel will discuss "10 Things Millennials Wish They Could Tell Their CMO". Like Adrian Dayton, my panelists (marketers with 4-7 years experience) insist they want their companies to get the best of what they have to offer. They also insist that harnessing their ideas has less to do with hours on the job than it does with adequate opportunities to be heard and contribute.

The Feb Harvard Business Review case, where Gen Y employee, Josh, is compelled circumvent his Gen X boss, Sarah, and speak directly to the CEO to advance his ideas resonates deeply with Millennials. Most have felt that way at some point in their career. Here's how they express it:

"I hate to be shut down without a hearing."

"Why do I have to go to one person before going to the next?"

"It's the difference between 'voice' and 'say'. I don't expect to make decisions, but I do expect to be able to influence the decision with my ideas."

"Pecking orders seem archaic to me. I have an innate respect for senior management, their success and knowledge, but don't understand why I am expected to be afraid to talk to them."

Millennials have lots of ideas, and many are related to being more efficient. Compelling them to trade lifestyle hours for what are seen as unecessarily long work hours is the surest way to frustrate a motivated Gen Y worker. In their view, if something is not working, why not fix it? What's more, why not fix it immediately? Sometimes this is interpretted as 'attitude', but for Millennials, it is common sense. They are more than willing to work hard when necessary. They just want assurance that it is really necessary, and are deeply offended when told to be a 'good soldier' or 'pay their dues'.

Work smarter, not harder is their answer to the charge of 'laziness'. But, if there has to be inefficient busywork, the least they expect is to have a reasonable explanation why. For Millennials, context is almost as important as having a voice. Knowing the reason, helps them keep faith that their work has meaning and purpose. Without context, they are likely to simply check out.

"I can't stand emails that say, 'Can you take care of this? thx.' Take a minute to explain what you need, why you need it, what I can do to make it great."

As I listen to Millennials talk about what motivates and demotivates them, I can't help but wonder if we all wouldn't be better off thinking like Millennials.

Do You Think Like a Millennial? Ten Simple Tests.

In the past week, I've been told I think like a Millennial and that I 'totally get Millennials'. As a Boomer, I am very proud of this accomplishment. It's not easy for people my age to think Millenniall-ly, I had to work at it.

Do you think like a Millennial? Here are some simple tests:

1. Is work something you 'go to' or something you just do? Younger workers view work as something you do -- anywhere, any time. They are experts at time shifting, asynchronous communication, and multi-tasking. They see no reason why they can't use Facebook at work and take work calls at home. It's just life.

2. When faced with a problem, is your first resort to check the manual or just dive right in? Gen Y knows they can find out the answer to anything anytime anywhere. Their first response to a question they don't know is to Google it. Lack of information is never a problem, because they know how to find out.

3. Do you prefer face to face communication or electronic? Gen Y uses all the tools, email, IM, text, Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more. If it can be handled electronically, why should we meet?

4. When you describe Millennials as 'entitled' do you mean it as a criticism or a compliment? What many Boomers think of as unjustified arrogance, Millennials believe is earned.

5. Do you feel loyal to the company or to your co-workers? Millennials have no sense of loyalty to a firm, but they do feel passionate about their team. They are collaborative to a fault.

6. Are you striving to make a mark or to make a difference? Gen Y's core value is to fight for what they believe in. They want to do well by doing good, not wait until they've done well to do good.

7. Do you laugh at or with Ryan Howard on the Office? Ryan is caricature of what Gen X thinks of Millennials -- overly technology laden, surly, and arrogant. Yet Ryan's humor is some of the most subtle on the show (in fact many of the episodes were written by BJ Novak who plays Ryan). Ex: "I miss the days when there was only one office party I didn't want to go to".

8. Do you embrace or distrust the term 'Millennial'? Millennials really hate being labeled at all. They chafe at the expectation that just because they are young, they are totally up on all things 'Millennial'. They prefer not to be thought of as part of a generation, but as an individual.

9. Do you think of a day as 12 hours or 24 hours? Millennials think of time as a resource to be allocated as needed, not by a clock.

10. Is your glass half empty or half full? Millennials are notoriously civic-minded and optimistic. It's no coincidence that Obama and Pepsi both made optimism cornerstones of their brands. No matter that the average Millennial carries $24,000 in college debt and is most likely underemployed. They see a better world coming.

Gen Y Core Value: Fight for What You Believe In

Over and over in our research we hear Millennials talk about wanting to make a difference. This article by Chip Walker provides perspective on this insight and helps explain what their idealism means for their careers and brand choices. I am especially intrigued by his description of Gen Y's activism as 'self-activism' - the idea that their very life is a 'cause'. This is a key difference between Gen Y and Gen X. The article originally appeared on Mediapost's Engage Gen Y blog. I have never reprinted an article in totality before, but this one was just to insightful to excerpt. It carries a strong message to brands or others who want to motivate this generation: Be sure you have a purpose 'worth fighting for'.

The Rise Of Cultural Movements

by Chip Walker, Strawberry Frog

In 2007, I fielded a global quantitative study of Gen-Yers in 13 countries and was surprised to find the No. 1 attitude unifying the generation was: "I would fight for a cause I believe in." A large majority of global Gen-Yers agreed with it from among dozens of other attitudes. My colleagues and I were all puzzled by this finding and weren't quite sure what to do with it. As I've created campaigns for Gen-Yers during the past couple of years, the meaning of this finding has become crystal clear.

Simply put, Gen-Yers have an activist bent. But their activism is different from the idealism and rebellion of their Boomer parents in the 1960s and '70s. For today's Gen-Yers, activism is not about rebelling against institutions -- there's simply not that much left to rebel against. Belief in institutions like government and big business crumbled long ago. Rather, in a world of almost infinite lifestyle choices, Gen-Y activism is about young people knowing their own inner priorities and making a vow to live by them -- even in the face of adversity.

A big part of Gen-Y activism is what I call "self-activism." They treat themselves and their dreams almost like causes. It's less based on idealism and more a matter of necessity: If they don't activate the revolutionary inside, they simply won't get anywhere in today's hyper-challenging marketplace. According to the Wall Street Journal, half of all new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job. According to a Gallup pool, over two-thirds of high school students say they intend to start their own companies.

Clearly, an independent spirit pervades this generation, and it's fueled by a strong sense of their personal values and beliefs. Among GenYers' most important personal values are authenticity, altruism and community. Yet, it is this generation's consumer activism that makes them a unique challenge for marketers. Gen Y-ers don't just want to buy brands, they want buy in to what a brand believes in. They flock to brands like Red and Livestrong that spark movements.

Some are social movements -- the sweatshop-free and socially responsible clothing movements are making clothing brands like Timberland, American Apparel and Patagonia must-have items for GenY. Others are cultural movements -- rather than selling processing speed, Apple invites GenYers to join a creativity movement. Obama became the choice of Gen-Y voters because he asked them to join a movement for change, not simply to vote for him.

Would your brand fight for a cause it believes in? Would your employees? Most Gen-Yers would. Today more than ever, GenYers are seeking to summon their own passion, courage and determination. Thus, if you want to connect with them, it's time to stop doing traditional marketing and start believing in something bigger than making money.

It's not easy for a brand to spark a cultural movement. But it's worth doing because it allows us to go beyond having a point of difference and actually have a difference-making purpose in the world. I, for one, believe Gen-Y's unique activist spirit will be its lasting generational hallmark, one that will change the future practice of marketing for the better.

Gen Y to Bosses: You Just Don't Understand

In the Odyssey, Odysseus' talented but immature son, Telemachus, benefits from the advice of a series of mentors, including Athena herself. Great coaching prepares him for the day when Odysseus finally returns to exact revenge on the despicable 'suitors' and reclaim his kingdom.

Three millennia later, modern day Telemachuses, aka, the Millennials, are wondering 'where are our mentors'?

Last September, we conducted online focus groups among professionally-employed Millennials to see the workplace through their eyes. Among other things, they told us they were deeply unhappy with their bosses. They want more -- more responsibility, more say in decisions, more recognition of their abilities, more mentoring. They crave appreciation, but their bosses 'don't get it', and don't give it. (Listen Up! What Millennials wish they could tell their bosses.)

We don't need focus groups among Gen X or Boomer managers to know what they think of Millennials in the workplace. In May 2008, there was a very negative 60 Minutes segment, "The Millennials Are Coming". Now we are further enlightened by the Harvard Business Review's featured case, "How I learned to love millennials (and stop worrying about what they were doing with their iPhones)". Each month, HBR describes a fictional situation and asks management experts to provide advice to the protagonists. February's case features Gen X Sarah, new mother of a 4-month old baby, marketing manager for a major film studio and boss to twenty-something, Josh. Josh is brimming with ideas Sarah finds impractical and consequently doesn't champion. Josh is frustrated. Now it's crunch time, and Josh has neglected his regular work analyzing distribution spreadsheets and creating reports in order to devote time to developing his new ideas. Here's the pivotal moment:

Now, Sarah was staring anxiously at the envelope icon in the bottom-right corner of her screen: Where were the numbers she'd asked Josh to generate? Sarah just couldn't afford to stay at the office tonight; every minute she was late to pick up four-month-old Rosie from day care was costing her (financially and psychically), and she had already logged plenty of overtime this week. Sarah was ready to alert her husband that he'd have to handle the pickup, when the Outlook message popped up: "You have new unopened items." It was close to 5:30 PM when Josh's report arrived, and the last couple of case studies looked pretty sketchy, as if he'd thrown them together quickly. But there wasn't enough time to send them back for revision, Sarah decided. She'd work on them further in the morning. Sarah quickly dropped the numbers into her slide deck and was about to log off when she spotted the bright pink "coaching" sticky note slapped on the side of her monitor. A few months ago she and the other frontline managers had gone through a special HR-facilitated training session about integrating the newer, younger hires into the company. "Invest the time," the managers were told. But what many of them heard was "Sugarcoat." Sarah quickly dashed off an e-mail to Josh. "Great job! You're the best." Who was she kidding? He'd done a half-assed job, and he knew it. Like so many of the young people hired by the studio recently, Sarah thought, Josh was far more concerned with getting praise than with earning praise. How else to explain that "look at me" move in the team meeting a few weeks back?

Later, unbeknownst to Sarah, Josh pitches his ideas to her boss in an impromptu elevator speech. The boss is so impressed, he asks Sarah to tell him more. Sarah has her issues, too, but who do you think the reader is siding with in this epic? That's bad enough, but the response of the three HBR 'experts' is even more revealing of Boomer perceptions of Millennials.

Ron Alsop, author of The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation Is Shaking Up the Workplace : Like many Gen Yers, Josh doesn't respect the corporate pecking order. His generation has little tolerance for lines of authority and proper protocol. Some corporate managers even call college-age job applicants "student stalkers" because they fire off e-mails to everyone from the CEO on down to try to get the inside track to a job.

Jim Miller, executive vice president of sales and marketing at General Tool & Supply:I'm afraid Josh isn't doing much here to disprove the theories that some people have about Generation Y: a life experienced through machines, no respect for what's gone before, and a constant need for praise, entertainment, and instant gratification.Josh's behavior is wrong on so many levels. He's been hired to do a job, not this other thing that he'd like to do. He has no respect for his boss; that's apparent in his actions. But he is also putting his team's work in jeopardy by not completing, to the very best of his ability, the tasks he was assigned. That's unacceptable.

Millennials strongly relate to Josh, saying this situation happens 'all the time'. One has gone so far as to post an anonymous reply to the article on Google Docs, saying, "It's not the case study that bothered me but the managers' comments. I was shocked to hear the other side of a common scenario." The response is titled, 'An Open Letter to Boomers':

After reading the business case in the Feb 09 Harvard Business Review, I started to see really how big this whole Gen-Y thing is. I underestimated the degree to which I myself was underestimated and disrespected as a Gen-Y and was actually offended by the way we are viewed. It seems managers claim they are seeking out how to deal with this generation of unruly and tech-savvy professionals but really they just want us to shut up, put the cell phone down and keep doing things their way.

In our defense, I thought it might be useful for the last of you Boomers and even some of the older Gen-Xers (like Sarah in the case study) to understand how we see you. I hope you consider this before dismissing us as "kids these days". This document was written on my iPhone, edited on Google docs, and syndicated anonymously via Twitter. I found that the generation gap is much bigger than even we YouTubers thought and even the fact I have to publish this blog anonymously is a testament to how differently we see the world.

For the other side of the argument, see the Harvard Business Review. For advice on how to mentor Millennial like Athena, the third HBR commenter, Pamela Nicholson, President and COO, Enterprise Rent-A-Car offers sound advice:

"Sarah doesn't have time to get angry. She needs to familiarize herself with Josh's idea and make sure all the supporting data are there. Given the CEO's enthusiasm for Josh's marketing proposal, I think Sarah should actually commend, rather than criticize, her young report for taking initiative. She should invite Josh to accompany her to the meeting. But she should remind him that he needs to keep her informed so she can manage the details of the project and the expectations of the CEO."

I wholeheartedly agree. For more mentoring advice from our Millennials research see an earlier blog post, " You're Doing Great! Keeping Millennials Happy at Work."

Millennials Asked to Consider Marriage

In first century Rome, a lex julia de maritandis ordinibus aimed to addressed the low birthrate in the upper classes. The legislation set penalities for bachelors and childless couples, mainly limiting their right to inheritance under wills. After divorce or widowhood, women were expected to remarry within a fixed time. A father of one child was allowed to stand for public office one year earlier than the stipulated age. Siring children exempted a man from certain legal duties. Whether or not these measures were effective or not is unknown, but the combination of carrot and stick may have done the trick. The Roman empire didn't die out for lack of citizens, at least not for many centuries.

In an eerie, two-Millennia historical echo, USA Today reported yesterday that the U.S. Federal government is funding a 4-year, $5 million dollar, multi-media and social networking campaign aimed at encouraging marriage among Millennials. While this effort doesn't include penalties for remaining single, it does attempt to point out the benefits of marriage to a generation that lacks good marital role models and is delaying marriage.

"The average age at first marriage is now almost 26 for women and 28 for men. And a growing percentage of Americans aren't marrying at all. Provisional federal statistics released Tuesday report 7.1 marriages per 1,000 people in 2008, down from 10 per 1,000 in 1986...."We're not telling people 'Get married' but 'Don't underestimate the benefits of marriage,' " says Paul Amato, a Pennsylvania State University sociologist and adviser to the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center, which is spearheading the campaign. The resource center, a federally funded virtual clearinghouse, works under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families."

The drop in marriage rates may be a reflection of Millennial attitudes. Research by the youth research company, TRU, was commissioned prior to developing the campaign. They found just 22% of those 18-30 have a strong view of marriage. At the other end of the spectrum 14% express strong sentiments against it. Those in the middle have mostly a 'practical' view of marriage and plan to either wait a while or live with someone before committing.

The campaign will feature a web site (TwoOfUs.org) as well as ads on social networking sites Facebook and MySpace, videos on YouTube, spots on radio talk shows, ads in magazines and public transportation. The goal is to start a national conversation about marriage.

Will it work? Without the carrot and stick of the Roman ordinance, I am not so sure the independent minded-Millennials will listen or care. A quick look at the TwoOfUs.org web site didn't reveal anything you couldn't find about relationships that isn't easily available in any women's magazine. The tone is definitely not hip or cool, a serious handicap to starting a social media conversation. It also is strictly heterosexual, which may be a turnoff to many Millennials who take a broader view of 'marriage'.

However, the Federal effort may get an assist from the First Couple. Andrew Romano wrote a Valentine's Day cover article for Newsweek explaining that his Millennial friends think the Obama's are 'one of the swooniest couples around', akin to what the Twilight couple is to tweens. (Our Model Marriage The Obamas have the kind of relationship millennials aspire to.) According to Romano, Michelle and Barack are the dream couple to Millennials starved for appropriate marital role models.

"My hunch is that millennials are going gaga over Barack and Michelle because they want to be Barack and Michelle. It's not that other generations can't admire the Obamas' bond; their marriage -- a union of self-sufficient equals -- embodies the post-'60s ideal. But unlike their elders, most millennials have yet to experience marriage firsthand, and what they've experienced by proxy hasn't been particularly encouraging: a 50 percent divorce rate, a steep rise in single parenthood, a culture captivated by cheap celebrity hookups. Even America's most visible household hasn't offered much hope, veering from '50s-era subservience (the Reagans) to boomer dysfunction (the Clintons). But now the Obamas – two independent individuals who also appear to be (surprise!) in love – have filled the void. For young people who have rejected the tired "wife in the kitchen" template but resolved not to follow their parents to divorce court, it's a relief to see that the sort of marriage they hope to have – equal and devoted – can actually exist."

Millennial Childhoods: The Why's of Gen Y

Millenials

View more presentations from Steve_Mellor. (tags: boomers baby)

There are a lot of presentations that do a great job of describing Gen Y. This presentation By Steve Mellor and Cathy O'Donnell of Harris Interactive is the best I've seen of at explaining why they are the way they are. Definitely worth a read, it provides cultural context for understanding Millennial values and the pressures that shaped them. (My only criticism is that Millennials should have two 'n's').

Millennials: The New Gender Equality?

Women's basketball's biggest star, 22-year old Candace Parker, made a surprise announcement last month: she and her basketball star husband, Shelden Williams, are expecting. Parker was the 2008 league MVP and Rookie of the Year for the Los Angeles Sparks. Why would she have a baby now of all times? Her reply: I want my children to have the benefit of young parents.

This may be a sign of another gender revolution quietly underway. The revolution is a function of Millennial values, and may be amplified by the economic crisis.

Let's start with values. Millennials do not see themselves tied to anyone else's timetable. Many younger women are opting to have children now, before their careers are established. It may be a reaction to watching their own mothers struggle to balance an established career with motherhood. Or perhaps it's just a sign of the confidence these young women feel in their own abilities? Nevertheless, as I have noted before, birthrates are up and young mothers (20-24) are largely responsible for the surge.

A recent comment in response to my July 21 post, "What the Cool Kids Want: A Baby?", provides extra evidence that this emphasis on family may be relatively new, and influenced by cultural icons having babies and making it look attractive. Here's what 'Anonymous' has to say:

"I'm a first-wave millennial, a newlywed, 24 years old, so child-bearing has been on my mind the past year or so. This blog is really interesting because I've noticed a 'change in the wind' with women my age. Whereas growing up as a preteen and high schooler it seemed like having a kid was a curse, along with the whole 'domestic' lifestyle. Shows like FRIENDS, and Seinfeld showed that it was clearly stupid to waste your life being married and having babies. For first-wave Millennials like myself however, we were coming of age just as all the characters on FRIENDS were starting to settle down and even have babies. I think girls my age thought "Why am I going to waste a decade trying to find myself, when in the end what I'm looking for is a family?" Also- I think the number of unmarried women having babies (ages 25-29) are the 'inbetween' generation from Gen X to Millennial. It seems like they are less wary of taking on the single-mom life, and opt for abortions less and less. I think there is still a bit of a cynical attitude towards marriage in that age group however. I think people in their early 20s are starting to warm up to the idea of marriage (influenced partly by TV romances like Pam & Jim on NBC's The Office). I think people are starting to realize that maybe marriage can be a good thing- an idea Millennials didn't grow up with."

Why do I say the trend may be accelerated by the economic crisis? In the past, economic woes led to smaller families. However, this crisis may be different, due to its unequal impact on men and women. According to Lionel Tiger, a Rutgers anthropologist, fully 82% job losers are men ("From Liberation to Obligation" Wall Street Journal, Feb 7). Tiger's prediction is that the economic crisis will put a heavier burden on women. I disagree. It's possible more men will opt to stay home and watch children, freeing moms rather than encumbering them. If more young men do stay home, it may become more socially acceptable, 'liberating' women to work without the usual juggling. Of course, it could the opposite way, with men opting out of family life altogether (Tiger's thesis).

While a 'heavier burden on women' may be true of Gen X and older groups, I don't think it will be the case with Millennials who have already shown their willingness to decouple identity from work. If I'm right, Gen Y may finally bring the kind of gender equality feminists in the 60's only dreamed of.

Marketers have been slow to catch on to men as a target for CPG products traditionally marketed to women, but that may be changing. Advertising Age today exhorts marketers to embrace and possibly facilitate the change. ("Why Package Goods Companies Should Market to Men", Ad Age, Feb 9)

Marketing to men and portraying them as caretakers of and shoppers for the family can attract additional consumers to a brand while encouraging men to become greater participants in the maintenance of their families and homes. And the more men are accepted and accept themselves in that role, the more they'll be interested in brands that solve the needs or enhance the enjoyment of home and family care. And, of course, the more they'll shop for those products.

Basing strategies for tomorrow on current marketing data, sensible as it may seem, is shortsighted, even dangerous. ...Reaching out to a seemingly less lucrative, smaller target market such as men isn't quixotic but rather a strategy to attract more consumers, encourage greater innovation, and even affect the roles men and women shape for themselves, now and in the future. Instead of emulating those Detroit execs who ignored or resisted change, why don't we embrace, guide and, ultimately, benefit from it?

Plays Well With Others: Linking Millennials with Bands and their Causes

Ryan Davis and his friends are leveraging Millennials' love of music with their desire to support great causes. The result? Plays Well With Others, a site that calls attention to bands that support great causes. According to Davis,

"We feel that there is an unprecedented desire among young people right now to change the world for the better, and may not know about all the organizations that they can join. We want to help connect those fans to the organizations and causes that bands are involved with, and help build awareness about new bands and the causes that they support."

Plays Well With Others designs and publicizes events that call attention to bands and the social causes those bands support. The next big event is Feb 13, to raise awareness about an organization called Not For Sale that fights human trafficking. Here is the result of a short interview with Ryan earlier this year:

How did you get started? Who is involved and how did you first get the idea for Plays Well With Others?

Davis: It began with a few individuals that work in the music industry seeing how many socially aware causes had a presence at shows and festivals, and wanting to find a way to extend that experience with those causes to beyond just the show. We wanted to take that interaction that the fans had with that cause and that band and extend it to their day-to-day lives. We began working on what that would mean and how it would look, and a few weeks later www.doyouplaywell.com went up. Right now we are working in all aspects, such as event production, artistic involvement, even a film team to help us build content for bands that are involved with us and to help tell the stories of the causes that we're working with.

What kind of response are you experiencing?

Davis: The response has truly been overwhelming, both from the organizational side and from the bands wanting to get involved. As soon as we've explained the concept of what we're trying to do everyone has been very eager to get involved.

How do people learn about your site?

Davis: We've been marketing through the usual avenues of Facebook and Myspace, and also reaching out through music blogs and trend websites. We want to reach young people where they are already, and that's going to be in the online music community. We have a really young group of people involved with this project, and we're working with causes and music that we genuinely believe in. I think that comes across when we're appealing to people, millennial have grown up with online marketing and can tell when something is forced. We are giving them a real and genuine way that they can get involved in areas that they care about, whether it's with the homeless, feeding the hungry, or with a group like Not For Sale.

One of your goals is to "Create an ongoing involvement with people and those bands/causes through both online marketing and real world experiences." What is your plan for getting marketers involved with Do You Play Well?

Davis: We offer a way for both bands and causes to build their communities, without asking for anything in return. Our only goal with this organization is to connect people to music and causes that they care about, in return we can give them publicity, content, and a voice to get their message out to people that might not hear it otherwise. We're talking about the generation that is more plugged in and more aware of the world around them than any before, a generation that wants to find out about ways to better the world. We want to give them all the tools that they need in order to be as effective at doing that as possible.

What's next? What plans do you have for the site?

Davis:We're currently discussing a redesign of it that would allow forums for users to connect to each other in their own communities and join their efforts on new projects, as well as building a space on the site that would allow bands to interact with people that are in the music industry and with organizations that are looking for ways to get more involved in the music community. We want the website to be really the starting point for users to begin projects that carry over into the real world. We feel that this generation can really change the world for the better, and we want to do everything that we can to help.

How Marketers Can Connect With Millennials

I am frequently asked to comment on how Millennials view their lives. To many 'older' people, Millennial lives seem 'complicated'. All those gadgets! The constant connection and 24/7 activity looks exhausting. Aren't they overwhelmed?

After hundreds of online and face-to-face interviews with college students and young professionals over the past six months, I can confidently say that 'complicated' is not how Millennials describe themselves.

Gen Y says their biggest challenge is 'busy-ness', the sheer volume of things they want and need to do. There simply isn't enough time to do it all. As a result, they see their lives as 'hectic', 'exciting', 'dynamic' and 'fun'. However, busy-ness also is the main barrier to achieving things that are really important to them, like staying in touch with old friends, making new friends and finding time to lead a 'balanced' life. Here is a sample of how they think of their lives and challenges:

Moderator: Now tell us what 3 words best describe your life right now..I know this might sound weird - but just say whatever comes to mind!

Jessica S: hectic, exciting, perfect Jason J: Dynamic, Fun, Anxious Doug: Fun, Non-Stop and Dynamic Lindsay J: busy, uncertain, overwhelming Alex S: interesting, action-packed, dynamic where action-packed = busy John C: Transition, Stress, Excitement Mary A: exciting, fun,hard Justin D: Margarine, content, excited. Katie H: busy, fun, happy Mike G: Three words that describe my life: dynamic, in-flux and wandering.

Moderator: a lot of you said "busy" - what are you mostly busy with?

Lindsay J: work, social, personal (moving) Jessica S: everything - work is busy and family life is busy - that makes for a feeling of going non-stop - I"m also moving and getting married Doug: Busy would entail for me...work (travel, responsibilities) and social life

Moderator: a lot of you said "exciting" - what makes your life exciting?

Mary A: new experiences everyday Katie H: constantly running around John C: just having a lot of fun and not sure what is coming next but it all is pretty fun and new.

Moderator: what makes your life hard or stressful?

Katie H: work and personal, wanting and trying to be in too many places all the time Mary A: meeting new people at both places and making connections John C: life is stressful because of trying to balance success at work with having a personal life. Work is also stressful because it seems to never end.

While finding time and achieving 'balance' is their biggest challenge, Millennials tell us they experience three other sources of stress:

1. Creating Meaning. Millennials yearn to make a difference. Many find it hard to do this in their work lives, so they search for ways to make a difference outside of work through volunteer work.

2. Making New Friends. Surprisingly, many post-college age Millennials say it is tough to meet new people and form meaningful friendships.

3. Meeting (High) Personal Expectations: Millennials are their own harshest critics. They are accustomed to achieving their goals, and often feel discouraged with their jobs when they don't get the responsibility or career progress they think they are capable of.

Marketers who demonstrate an understanding and sympathy for these stressors will find it easier to engage Millennials. Brands that help them ease or resolve their challenges will earn customers for life.

Millennials: The Power of Positive Thinking

Norman Vincent Peale should have lived to see it. In the midst of a potential depression, optimism is bustin' out all over. First Pepsi. Now primetime TV.

In an article titled "The Think-Positive Gambit", the WSJ (1.2.08) describes the shows in development for 2009 as 'feel good' shows designed to showcase uplifting themes and laughter. The article features a thoughtful reflection by Michael Wright, head of programming for Time-Warner:

"...in dark times, people want bright TV. Mr. Wright believes viewers this year will turn to prime time television for comfort and joy and to renew their belief in the essential goodness of their fellow man. 'To the extent that there might be a growing sense of hope in the midst of all the gloom and doom we're looking at every day, I think television ought to reflect that.'"

Well, I certainly look to prime time TV to renew my faith in my fellow man, doesn't everyone?

The optimistic marketers may be on to something. In this the season of serious movies, "Yes Man" starring Jim Carrey as the 'guy who cain't say no' is leading at the box office. "Yes Man" won't be winning any Academy awards, if the reviews are any indication, but it does hit all the right Millennial themes. Just change your attitude, be open to life and great things will happen. It's all a matter of being open to life's essential goodness. As I watched, I couldn't help admire the parallels to Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" and Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life". As with "Yes Man", these protagonists just needed an angel to transform their pessimistic outlook to one of cheery goodwill toward everyone. It's not a terrible movie, just not that original. Nevertheless, it appears to be in perfect tune Millennial values of acceptance, making the world a better place and keeping an open mind.

Eventually the pendulum will swing back and we'll be looking at meatier fare from Hollywood. But for now, kudo's to Jim Carrey for being the right guy at the right time with the right movie.

Millennial Businesses: Doing Well by Doing Good

Harvard Publishing calls Better World Books the 'real deal' in terms of a triple bottom line - people, planet and profits. They call themselves 'The Online Bookstore with a Soul'. Founded five years ago by three University of Notre Dame graduates (had to mention that right away, so proud), Better World Books is Amazon with a soul. They collect unwanted books from 1800 campuses and 1400 libraries, rescuing them from landfills. They sell what they can, returning a portion of the proceeds to the donating library and a portion to literacy programs. The unsold books go to literacy programs around the world. Books are shipped USPS for $3.97 using Carbonfund.com offsets.

This deceptively simply idea has grown to a $21 million operation with 200 full-time full-benefit employees that has done a tremendous amount of good. From the spring of 2003 through June 2008, Better World Books has collected more than 16 million books, raising more than $5.2 million for over 80 literacy and education non-profit organizations, sending over a million books to partner programs & saving over 8,000 tons of books from landfills. They have also set aside 5% of their stock option pool for their core literacy partners and purchased 2,400 tons of carbon offsets - and growing the company to $21 million in revenue. Now that's a triple play.

Success does not seem to have made the three founders any less idealistic. I quote from their web site:

"We believe that literacy gives people water to drink, imparts knowledge to eliminate disease, and develops self-esteem that enables people to make their mark on the world. Our story has taken us to places we had never seen. Our dream is to continue to work for those whom we have never met." The BWB Cofounders (from left to right): Xavier Helgesen, Jeff Kurtzman & Chris "Kreece" Fuchs

Millennial Marketing: The beginning of backlash?

A Google search on the term 'Millennial' today returned 1,900,000 hits (this blog was number 31!). With all the hype, I suppose it's understandable that some marketers will view all the fuss as... well, hype! A poll of readers of the enewsletter, SmartBrief, shows half of all marketers agree it's all hype. That is surprising to me. While there is a bandwagon element to the recent outpouring of news on Millennials, I think there is fire under the bandwagon, hence all the smoke (how's that for metaphoria?). Here, again, are a few reason why Millennials matter to marketers:

1. Size. There are as many Millennials as Boomers and remember what a difference they made.

2. Taste. While they do like our music, they have different preferences in just about everything else. They are the trendsetters, especially in matters of entertainment and technology.

3. Politics. Millennial Makeover authors, Haig and Weingrad, got it right. Young voters were the difference and will continue to be for decades.

4. Values. Millennials are motivated differently. They want to make a difference in everything from the workplace to the environment. They just might do it.

My recommendation? Accept the hype and focus on the substance.