ICYMI – May 8, 2013
If you are like me you try to read as many articles, blogs and books as possible but just cannot catch all of them. “In Case You Missed It” is my way of pointing out a few “reads” that I think are too good to miss.
Playing It Safe: Gen Ys and the Caution Effect -YPulse
The statement that Gen Ys grew up coddled and protected has been used so much by generational experts that it almost feels cliché saying it. But the less-discussed flip side to this over-protection incubation is that Millennials were raised in an environment of high anxiety that taught them from a very early age that there is always something around the corner that could hurt you or go wrong. After all, there was a reason that you couldn’t walk down the street to school by yourself; stranger danger was everywhere. They could very well be called Generation Amber Alert. Add to this early-age hyper-awareness of personal danger the fact that the media they have been surrounded by has essentially been a non-stop loop of terror and highly dramatized fear-mongering-for-ratings and it is understandable that Millennials tend to be an anxious bunch.
Then, when this group of high-risk guarded youth were just starting out on their own, the recession hit and they watched friends and family who had bet big on houses, stocks, and high-stakes careers lose everything. Put all together, you have the perfect equation for a generation with a healthy fear of risk taking. Today, this risk-averse mentality affects how they are living their lives in a major way, from delaying major life decisions to approaching their futures with extreme caution.
Impregnate Your Friend’s Phones – How would things change if they were parents for a day?
All Grown Up and Ready to Spend: Millennial Moms – Elisa Silva
The generation commonly referred to as “Millennial” is currently snug in their 20s and early 30s, pursuing high-powered careers and having kids of their own. You may think “Wow, they grew up fast,” and you’re not alone. In fact, it might be shocking for some to discover the buying power of this group, estimated to be $170 billion per year according to comScore SCOR+0.61%, making Millennials a valuable segment of the population for marketers to target.
Though Millennial moms are often considered a niche group, the reality is that approximately 68% of all babies are now born to these women (Meredith’s Parents Network, Communicating with Millennial Moms, 2010), and there are infinitely more touchpoints for brands to interact with consumers now, in contrast to the opportunities available through traditional advertising. How marketers acknowledge these intersections makes all the difference in how successful they are in winning brand loyalty from these powerful and strategic shoppers, sharers and spenders.
Millennial moms are unhindered by traditional societal norms and choose to raise their children in their own unique way, picking and choosing what’s best, taking advice and making it their own. Most important, these moms are “always-on,” using technology to help make their lives easier, and strategically shop for the best prices and products for their families and themselves.
