Why do we call them the Connected Generation?
Introducing the regengade consumers, the rule changers, the industry flippers, the new innovators, the passionate, technology-loving people fueling the breakaway brands. Meet the Connected Generation.
When we started writing about the Connected Generation, we initially talked about them as generations X and Y (these titles are a little annoying, but most people knew what were were talking about). But over time, we began to realize that it was a definable group with a lifestyle, an orientation towards technology, and a specific worldview, that was changing the way business was being done and how markets were behaving. We looked deep into this group and decided that being highly connected was their defining characteristic.
The connected generation is connected in three ways:
1) Connected to technology and new media 24/7
They embrace all relevant forms of new media. First, they use these new forms of media to filter out annoying and unwelcome push marketing messages. They’ve got MP3 players and podcasts, so they don’t have to hear radio ads. They use TiVo to eliminate commercials. They discover new music through video games and MySpace.
Many get their daily dose of news from the Internet rather than from reading the newspaper. By the end of 2005, 50 million Americans got their news online during a typical day (Pew Internet Report: Technology and Media Use).
They are also using technology and new media to pull in what they crave. They use Really Simple Syndication or RSS feeds to sift through Web content for topics that interest them and deposit them into a single web browser for daily reading. They are enjoying new media channels and brands that reflect their unique spirit of fun and adventure.
2) Connected to each other in tightening circles and large networked groups who share loose connections.
They’re connected to their social and professional networks around the clock. They’re a powerful group because they will quickly spread the news about ideas, brands and services that they love – and hate.
Before, it would take an opening weekend before word spread that JLo and Ben Affleck’s film was a flop. Now people quickly disseminate the information through their far-flung networks – dramatically affecting open weekend and subsequent ticket sales.
New bands get discovered on MySpace and rapidy gain a targeted following. Just this year, the first unsigned band broke into Billboard’s top 100, fueled by their MySpace fans.
The numbers of these connected communities are growing exponentially and they are beginning to have a swift and dramatic impact on business and entire industries.
3) They are connecting and circling around companies, building open dialogues, identities, and peer-like relationships with the brands they love.
The Connected Generation is seeking a fascinating new type of connection with select brands that win their hearts and capture their imaginations. More than ever before in history, they are creating highly proactive communities that demand an equal relationship with the brands they covet and admire.
This post was written by Cheri Hanson
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