Millennials: Moving Home is an Option

The conversation about Millennials lately has centered on work expectations, the high cost of turnover and "How to Keep Gen Y Workers on The Job". Gen Y's inclination to leave a job that doesn't meet expectations seems to be the impetus of much of the advice about managing Millennials at work (as opposed to, say, a desire to maximize their contribution, or create a genuinely Gen-Y friendly environment or handbook).

That Millennials have different expectations is widely assumed, although not really proven. A recent academic exploration of Gen Y attitudes by academics at the London School of Business ("Gen Y: The Reflexive Generation") concludes Millennials may not be so much different in what they want than older workers, but they are more likely to give voice to their expectations and their frustrations. Why? Because they were raised to expect more from their career than just money or advancement. They are looking for meaning and self-improvement and to speak out when their needs are not being met.

"Many of the elements we uncovered, such as being in charge of one’s own work, career and life, are probably applicable to many people. This generation might be more vocal in expressing their needs, but we should not forget that the period of time in which they grew up shaped this mindset.

One of the overriding impressions of the men and women of this generation is their frustration with performance management practices which are too slow, too bureaucratic and too hierarchical.

They place a great deal of emphasis on intellectual capital (the knowledge and insights they have), social capital (the depth, richness and extent of their networks) and emotional capital (the means by which they understand themselves and build self knowledge). For this generation the emphasis is on ‘work to learn’ rather than ‘work to live’.

I agree that the differences in expectations are shaped by their upbringing. But I would go further. Millennials also have the financial freedom to demand more of their jobs as a result of enjoying a parental safety net.

According to some reports, as many as 65% of recent college graduates are returning home. Unlike earlier generations, Millennials feel welcome to return home and moving home carries no stigma. For their part, parents are eager to (continue) to help their kids get a good start in life. According to a study by Vibrant.com, 37% of Boomer women have an adult child living with them and 44% are helping a child or grandchild financially.

Saving thousands of dollars a year in rent provides many with the option to take a unpaid internship, a volunteer position, or wait for a better job. Even those who have good jobs are deciding living at home is a reasonable option. A successful Chicago hairdresser I know recently moved back in with her parents in order to be able to afford health care. And another young employed worker plans to stay with his parents until he saves $30,000 to start his own business.

These are considered rational sacrifices, if they are sacrifices at all. After all, Millennials famously like their parents.

Fast forward 20 years and it's possible the tables could reverse! Boomer parents, who selflessly paid for advanced degrees and provided shelter in time of need, and who experienced significant savings depletion in 2008, may call on their adult children to return the favor. My guess is that Millennials will have no problem taking in Mom or Dad.

Observing Teen Media Use in its Natural Habitat

I have two Millennial-age kids, one in high school and another is a college student. This summer they exhibit the sleep habits of nocturnal wild animals. If they were dropped into Hong Kong tomorrow, they would experience no jet lag.

Technology knows no time zone and is hard to quit once you start. Combine entertainment with social connection and you have a sticky brew. My son dramatically removed the TV from his room during final exam week, but has yet to restore it. I now see why: he doesn't need it! His laptop functions as super-functional TV/DVD/ player with communication built in.

New research from OTX (and conversations with other parents) assures me my kids are fairly typical. Andy Pipes, in blog post titled "Technology, Kids and Telly", summarized the OTX findings on 12-24 year-olds like this:

* They personally own 8 devices (including MP3 player, PC, TV, DVD player, mobile phone, stereo, games console, and digital camera)

* They frequently conduct over 5 activities whilst watching TV

* 25% of them agree that “I’d rather stay at home than go on a holiday with no internet or phone access”

* A quarter of young people interviewed text or IM (instant message) friends they are physically with at the time

* They have on average 123 friends on their social network spaces

* And the first thing the majority of them do when they get home is turn on their PC

Although the research is from London, all of these findings ring true with my experience, including the points about vacation and texting friends sitting next to you. According to the OTX report, youth’s obsession with technology is less about the technology and more connection and communication.

"Young people’s immersion in these devices and the time spent on them is not due to an obsession with the technology per se, but largely due to the gadgets’ ability to facilitate communication and to enhance young people’s enjoyment of traditional pursuits. For most, the focus of their passion is not so much the device itself, but more about how it can help them connect, relax or have fun. The technology itself is “invisible” to the young consumer.

How is all this 'communication' affecting offline relationships with friends and family? According to the Annenberg research (reported this week by AP) Internet time is more likely to cut into family time than time with friends."

In 2000, when the center began its annual surveys on Americans and the Internet, only 11 percent of respondents said that family members under 18 were spending too much time online. By 2008, that grew to 28 percent....In the first half of the decade, people reported spending an average of 26 hours per month with their families. By 2008, however, that shared time had dropped by more than 30 percent, to about 18 hours."

The OTX research aligns with this finding. Here is Andy Pipes again:

>"These activities seem to be making up for not spending as much physical time with their friends as they’d like - which seems to be most of the time. On the weekends, when typical young adults have the most free time, they are still spending more time hanging out with their mates and watching television than any other activity - the difference is that this generation tends to be engaging with their connected devices a lot more whilst doing those cherished activities."

I suppose i can take some comfort in that. Meanwhile, I don't miss hearing the refrain of summers past: "Mom, I'm bored. There's nothing to do!"

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!)

Is Your Brand Millennial-Ready?

I am often challenged to justify my opinion that Millennials need to be addressed as a unique target.

My first response is to point out just how many of them there are. As a result of an 'echo boom' in births that began in the late 70's, by 2008 there were over 58 million young adults 21+. (see chart). Fast forward five years and there will be 3.5 million more, a 6% increase. That's 61.5 million consumers in their prime earning and spending years. At the same time, the number of people 35-54 is projected to decline by 2 million.

Many industries -- technology, education, food, wine, beer and spirits -- have felt the impact of Millennials for several years. Looking ahead, we anticipate financial services, travel, and home goods/fashions to be next. Marketers in these categories often doubt whether Millennials are really all that different, or will require significant adjustments in their value proposition or marketing approach. Perhaps they are right. But what is the basis for thinking that the status quo will remain either status or quo? Better to expect a "Black Swan" than to be surprised.

As you consider whether your brand is "Gen Y-Ready", here are five questions to consider:

1. Impact: How important are 21-34 year olds to my category now? Five years from now?

2. Wants & Needs: What is different about this generation's values or upbringing that could impact their decisions about my category? About brands?

3. Influencers: Who are the individuals or communities that influence millennial opinions in my category? Do we have ways to monitor their opinions?

4. Internal Audience: What do Millennials in our organization say about our value proposition? About the best way to reach people like them?

5. Benchmarks: Which brands in other categories are succeeding with Millennials? What can we learn from them?

If you find it difficult to answer these questions, I strongly urge you to get prepared. The Millennials Are Coming!

T-Mobile Is Calling Millennials

Mobile phone sales plummeted in the first quarter of 2009, and a new Pew Research report released last week, says one-third of 18-29 year olds have changed cell phone plans as a result of the recession, a higher rate of change that was seen for any other age group.

These changes are likely to have the greatest impact on T-Mobile. Not only is T-Mobile the #4 U.S. provider behind AT&T, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon in both size and spending, it is also the only provider that skews significantly younger; 33% of 18-24year olds claim to have used T-Mobile compared to just 22% of the total population (Mintel, August 2008). With so many accounts in play, I thought it would be worth looking at what T-Mobile is doing to reach Millennials.

The most visible effort is the video of the "T-Mobile dance" stunt created in Liverpool's train station in January (see above). A second stunt April 30 featured13,000 karaoke singers in Trafalgar Square last month. The spots have a great tagline - "Life is for Sharing" - and were a viral web sensation. The Life is for Sharing YouTube channel continues to bring in traffic and videos. Adrienne Waldo's provides a great Millennial view on this campaign in her blog, Ask A Millennial.

This is what happens when a company puts a little thought, effort, money and heart into their marketing. They are getting hundreds of thousands of views a week and sitting solidly at the top of AdAge's Viral Video Chart. People are watching these videos over and over and sharing the gospel - blogging, tweeting, posting, forwarding and linking these videos into every nook and cranny of the web. What did T-Mobile do differently from the countless other brands trying to infiltrate the masses virally? They abandoned the stereotypes of "savvy internet users," realized that the people who use the internet are humans, and created their ads accordingly. I also have to give them mad props for their excellent song choices. Bang up job, T-Mobile, cheers and all that. Now, if only your service was as good as your marketing...

To see a great commercial inspired by the T-Mobile effort, watch this spot filmed in Antwerp, Brussels that features Julie Andrews singing Do Re Mi (don't ask, just watch it.)

I took a look at some of their marketing and was very impressed. Beyond a great branding effort, T-Mobile is addressing the current cost consciousness by directing customers and prospects to a third party site, BillShrink.com for a Mobile Makeover. By entering basic information on usage and rates, you can see if there's a way to do better on your cell phone bill. This seems risky unless you actually do offer better rates. I found the T-Mobile web site very intuitive and easy to use, in contrast to others I have visited. Finally, a quick check of JD Power shows customer service at T-Mobile is a strength: JD Power put T-Mobile first in customer satisfaction in its Feb 2009 report, primarily due to shorter wait times.

Now let's just hope that the rumors that T-Mobiles servers were hacked over the weekend are not true! It would be a shame given their overall great marketing effort.

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.

Pixar: The Ultimate Millennial Brand?

The oldest Millennials were just getting drivers' permits and the youngest were just being born when Toy Story became the first fully computer animated feature film. Since then, a progression of Pixar films have defined Millennnials early movie-going years in the same way Sleeping Beauty and Sound of Music defined mine. A post on Saturday by WhiteBoardMania blogger, Boomaga, reveals and articulates this generation's deep affinity for the Pixar 'brand'.

I’ve already got my ticket to see it, but it’s more than just a chance to go see a movie. It’s a chance to be that happy little kid again, sitting in the theater and not having a care in the world, if only for an hour and half. I’m the living 24 year old incarnation of Randall Graves from Clerks. I’m about as far as he is in life when it comes to relationships, career, income and most of all, cynicism. I spend most of my time listening to caustic, angry music. I do not have what I would consider high job satisfaction. I’ve been to 6 Phillies game this season, and they’ve only won one of them. Everyone is stupid to me and I’ll always be the first to notice or anticipate someone’s faults before their benefits. And yet, for the last few years, about once a year, I’ve been able to feel wonder, imagination and amazement like I did 10, 15 or 20 years ago. It’s hard to see the beauty in the world around me with my daily disappointments and frustrations, whether internal or external. However, when the film rolls and the Pixar lamp hops across the screen, I’m transported out of my life to a variety of truly magical worlds without me realizing it until the movie is over.

Pixar's latest, "Up", scored big at the box office this weekend -- $68 million, the third highest for any Pixar film and more than twice as much as "Night at the Museum" according to the WSJ. Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Motion Picture Group says "Up" shows broad age appeal: "It was as strong with kids aged two to 11 as it was with adults both under and over 25. We think we've got a movie that's going to play across all demos." The twitter buzz for #UP is bursting with enthusiasm.

Other than its coincident timing, consistent quality, and fine storytelling, what is it about Pixar films that connects and engages so well with Gen Y?

If you have been reading this blog you can probably guess what I am about to posit: Pixar has perfect pitch when it comes to Millennial values, and may even have had a hand in shaping them. Each Pixar film expresses the abiding importance of family relationships ("Finding Nemo", "Up") and friendships ("Bugs Life", "Toy Story"). They are innocent without being naive, and rely heavily on evocations of childhood wonder ("Wall-E", "Up", "Ratatouille"). They are relentlessly optimistic about the human condition, reminding us of our better natures and what we can achieve if we only stick together; sentiment without schmaltz.

Okay. I think I know what you are thinking: What makes those MILLENNIAL values? After all, are those timeless qualities? Of course. But Millennials are young enough to still believe in them. Only time will tell if they will grow more cynical.

Somehow, I don't think so.