Millenials, aka Generation-Y, are the new consumer force
The foundational truth of DONATA Communications is that the windstorm of change enveloping media these days is due to a cultural shift, not technology alone. Postmoderns are such, in part, because the technologies created by Modernist generations have enabled them to view life in an entirely different fashion. This will only accelerate as time goes by, and the velocity of that acceleration will be staggering in the next few years. We write about this because nobody else is, but from time-to-time, empirical evidence comes along to validate our position, and we are inspired to carry on. So it is with new research from brand-planning think tank scenarioDNA as reported in MediaDailyNews.

scenarioDNA will launch a quarterly tracking report in January entitled “Ignite! Youth,” focusing on the media habits of consumers between the ages of 14-24. Early reports show that these young consumers take media more for granted, have higher expectations for it, and are also among its biggest critics. They generally go with the undercurrent, and look to their peers more than anyone for guidance and recommendations. “Marketers need to reach the Gen Y leaders to pull the masses,” says Tim Stock, managing director and co-author of the study.

It may seem redundant to say young people are demonstrating an advanced technological involvement versus previous generations, but evidence proposes this might be directly related to the counter-culture connotation still attached to the Internet. Millenials don’t want to be force-fed anything, and they prefer, unlike previous generations, to be in control of their media environment, something the Internet certainly affords them.