Don’t Worry, Be Happy!
Gen Y has grown up seeing the glass half full.
We look on the bright side of life, but are also realistic. We have been raised to believe that life is ours for the taking and that no matter what, Mom and Dad are there to support, protect and do whatever it takes to make us happy. I am part of Gen Y, and I can verify that this is the way that I grew up.
We are indeed the most pampered generation. The formative Gen Y childhood years are vastly different than our predecessors. Most everything in our world revolves around us...or, at least, it seems that way. We expect our needs to be considered, and if they are not, we have no problem feeling empowered to influence the systems that aren't meeting those needs.
When you ask tweens/teens what they want to be when they grow up, it's not uncommon that you would get the response "I want to be famous". We already have a sense of what it means to be famous, to covet it, and for so many, to believe it is entirely attainable. Our perspective on fame is far different from our parents. We see people that became famous with no real skill set (see exhibit A). And even those with skills - many of them lie, cheat, abuse or completely destruct as individuals. Yet they still remain famous and in the public eye. From TMZ to UsWeekly to PerezHilton.com, we follow their every move - the good, the bad and the ugly. This sets precedence that fame is attainable and sustainable.
Even if we aren't striving to be famous, we feel that we will be more successful (monetarily and professionally) than our parents. We feel that we are smarter and have far better resources and opportunities to achieve more than our parents. We also feel that our parents worked long and hard and had a deep loyalty to their employers. We, on the other hand, feel that we should align with whomever and whatever will provide the best opportunity with an increase in salary. We are also a generation of entrepreneurs - so many of us believe we can work for ourselves and reap the rewards that will exceed working for a corporation.
Marketers and advertisers need to take this information and use it wisely - and widely. Once you convince Gen Y that we want your product or service, we will be steadfast in getting it. This was true of cell phones, PlayStation3, and DVD players, just to name a few. Once enough of us adopt it, it will become so common that our parents will then begin to look at what you are marketing as a need not a want. And isn't that the big payoff?
With my generation growing up so differently than the preceding generation, it is important to make a big impact on us. Because in turn, we have the power to make a big impact on your bottom line.
The "Y Award"
Each week the Premise team will be giving out our coveted (hey, we think it's pretty cool) "Y Award" to a brand that has successfully captured the attention of these youngsters. This week's award goes to:
Sex, fashion, sophistication - not exactly what you think about when considering which airline to fly...until Virgin America came along and cooked up the perfect recipe to appeal to the tastes of Generation Y. How do I know? Because I am Gen Y and Virgin America is my airline of choice. Here's a few reasons why:
- WIFI
- In seat entertainment (video games, tv, movies)
- Seat to seat instant messaging
- Food!
- And, who doesn't love the mood lighting?
Sure, all those things are great (and can totally be copied), but what has Virgin America really done to win me over? Answer: Smart Marketing.
A new marketing effort set to launch in just a few short weeks includes traditional media elements (magazine, newspaper, digital, etc) as well as some non-traditional, "out of the box" engagements to grab the mind-share (and wallets) of busy Gen Y'ers:
- DJ and concert promotions
- Fully wrapped San Fran Taxis
- VIral Videos
- Bus Shelters with that famous mood lighting
- "Fly Girls" - Reality TV show featuring VA crew members
Links:
Read the press release
Watch video
Watch the Fly Girls Trailer
Make life easy and bookmark this page - so you can follow along for all 10 weeks!
The ABC's of Y and Z
-Jocelyn Fielding, Account Coordinator/Gen Y Contributor
Lunch Today: Pasadena Chicken Salad from Trader Joes!
Comments
| Jason Conrad
February 22, 2010 |
Insightful, i like it and totally agree Virgin America should WIN! |
