Meet generation edge

UNDERSTANDING A NEW GENERATION

WWW.THESOUNDRESEARCH.COM

Strategic Research & Brand Consultancy

THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO GET GENERATION

LIVING IN A MILLENNIAL

WORLD

WHAT MAKES

THE SOUND HEADED TO UK, CANADA, AND USA TO EXPLORE THE NEXT GENERATION OF

CONSUMERS…

THE YOUNGEST EVER MILLENNIAL IS NOW 19... A NEW GENERATION ARE COMING AND

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEM

MILLENNIALS RULED THE WORLD...

A LARGE & INFLUENTIAL GENERATIONAL COHORT, MILLENNIALS ARE DEFINED BY CRISES AND OPPORTUNITY... AND BOOMER PARENTS

OPTIMISTIC

CONFORMIST ACHIEVEMENT

OBSESSED

TECHNOLOGYASPIRANTS

IDEALISTIC FUTURE FOCUSED

COLLABORATIVEEXTENDED

ADOLESCENCE

BORN BETWEEN 1980 AND 1994& 76 MILLION STRONG

BORN FROM 1995 TO PRESENT

75 MILLION& COUNTING

BUYING POWER OF $312.3 BILLION & INFLUENCE $600 BILLION IN FAMILY

SPENDING

AND A GENERATION VERY DIFFERENT TO MILLENNIALS...

THE WORLD OF MARKETING, INNOVATION & RESEARCH IS

ABOUT TO CHANGE.

INTRODUCINGGENERATION EDGE...

1. WILLIAMS K. (2010) MARKETING TO THE GENERATIONS

1

WHAT’S GIVEN THIS GENERATION EDGE?

ECONOMY SOCIAL

POLITICS

CONTEXT SHAPED A NEW GENERATIONS VALUES AND ASPIRATIONS

A GENERATION BORN INTO A WORLD ON THE EDGE OF COLLAPSE... THEY IN TURN NEED EDGE TO SURVIVE TECHNOLOGY

WHAT MAKESEDGE?THE ECONOMY...

IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID

GENERATION EDGE TEENS HAVE ONLY KNOWN RECESSION & BLEAK GROWTH...

1987 1990 1995

REAL GDP GROWTH // US ECONOMY

SOURCE: IMF

-2

0

2

4

-4

2000 2005 2010

NEGATIVE GROWTH

POSITIVE GROWTH

MILLENNIAL FORMATIVE YEARS GENERATION EDGE FORMATIVE YEARSVS.

“IT’S REALLY HARD FOR PEOPLE IN MY GENERATION NOT TO FEEL COMPLETELY DEFEATED BY THIS ECONOMY.”

UNEMPLOYED COLLEGE GRAD// BLOGGER LANCE FULLER, 26 NEW YORK TIMES // 18 DECEMBER 2012

IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID

A COFFEE SHOP IN THE UK RECEIVED 1,700 APPLICANTSFOR EIGHT JOB OPENINGS — OR 212 APPLICATIONS

FOR EACH POSTDAILY MAIL // FEBRUARY 19, 2012

GENERATION EDGE ARE HAVING TO GROW UP FAST AND BE REALISTIC ABOUT THEIR FUTURE

"AFTER 16 YEARS OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, THEPROBABILITY IS THIS GENERATION WILL HAVE EXPERIENCED QUITE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC TURMOIL BEFORE THEY GETTO ADULTHOOD AND IT’S GOING TO MAKE THEM A LITTLE

MORE MEASURED, RESERVED AND CONSERVATIVE."BERNARD SALT, KPMG DEMOGRAPHER

ECONOMIC IMPACT ON EDGE

UNLIKE MILLENNIALS, GENERATION EDGE ARE BEING FORCED TO THINK OF ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF MAKING IT IN THE WORLD... MAKING THEM RESOURCEFUL

“WHERE PREVIOUS GENERATIONS HAD TO RELY ON A PARENT OR TEACHER OR SUPERVISOR TO EXPLAIN

SOMETHING, THIS GENERATION ISN'T BOUND BY THOSE CONSTRAINTS AND CAN ACCESS THE INFO THEY NEED

WHEN THEY NEED IT AND GET TO WORK.”MARKETING TO THE GENERATIONS // K.WILLIAMS // 2010

WHAT MAKESEDGE?UNIQUE PARENTING &EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

PARENTING MATTERS

BOOMERPARENTS AREOPTIMISTIC

EMPOWERINGHELICOPTERING

“I WANT MY CHILDREN TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES,

ACHIEVE GREAT THINGS... AND I’LL BE THERE TO HELP

THEM ALL THE WAY”

BOOMER PARENT

“I DON’T EXPECT LIFE TO BE EASY FOR HIM, BUT I THINK I’VE GIVEN HIM THE TOOLS;

THE REST IS UP TO HIM”

GEN X PARENT

GEN-XPARENTS ARE

CYNICALCHALLENGING

PREPARING

VS.

UNLIKE MILLENNIALS AND THEIR OPTIMISTIC BOOMER PARENTS, GENERATION EDGE ARE BEING RAISED BY GEN-X

SCHOOLING FOR LIFE

GEN-EDGE HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IN AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT EMPHASIZES THE PRACTICAL VS. THEORETICAL. EXPECT CALLS FOR EVEN MORE REFORM TO READY THEM FOR THE ‘REAL’ WORLD…

“IT IS NO SECRET THIS SYSTEM OF STANDARDIZED TESTING IS TURNING US INTO MINDLESS DRONES. A STUDENT CAN BE VERY BOOK SMART AND PASS THEIR MCAT. BUT DOES THIS

MEAN THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SAVE A LIFE?...AND NO, THROWING A FEW IPADS IN THE MIX ISN’T GOING

TO CUT ITBEHSHID BEHROUZI, GR. 10 STUDENT, TEDX WINCHESTER TEACHERS, 2013

WHAT MAKESEDGE?INSTITUTIONAL COLLAPSE

INSTITUTIONAL TRUST COLLAPSE

THE TARP BILL SAW $475 BILLION PAID TO BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES

AND CORPORATIONS

US CAR INDUSTRY RECEIVED $24.9 BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT

BILLIONS PAID IN BONUSES TO BANKERS SINCE BAILOUT

FACEBOOK PAID NO INCOME & FEDERAL TAXES IN 2012 DESPITE

HUGE PROFITS AND RECEIVED $429 MILLION REFUND

OVER 25 MILLION HOMES REPOSSESSED OR FORECLOSED

ON SINCE 2007

7 MILLION JOBS LOST DURING RECESSION (US)

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME HAS DROPPED 8.2% SINCE 2009

GLOBAL INCOME TAX RATES HAVEBEEN INCREASING SINCE 2008

“I THINK WHAT PEOPLE OFTEN FORGET IS THIS ALL HAPPENED BEFORE. MY GENERATION [GEN-X] NEVER HAD IT EASY—WE GREW UP IN TOUGH TIMES TOO ... BUT WE SURVIVED AND SO

WILL OUR KIDS.”PARENT OF GEN-EDGE // CHICAGO // ETHNOGRAPHY INTERVIEW

“THEM” “US”VS.

UNLIKE MILLENNIALS, GENERATION EDGE AREN’T CONFORMIST AND ACTIVELY CHALLENGE INSTITUTIONS & BRANDS ... THEY’RE FOCUSED REFORMISTS

“DURING OCCUPY WALL STREET A BROOKLYN MOTHER ORGANIZED A SLEEPOVER FOR MORE THAN 80

PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN. A MAKESHIFT LIBRARY WITHIN THE PARK HAD A COLLECTION OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR

PARENTS TO USE. MANY BELIEVED THEY MUST SEIZE THIS "TEACHABLE MOMENT" TO EDUCATE THEIR KIDS ON INCOME

EQUALITY AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST.” CNN BLOG // APRIL, 2012

INSTITUTIONAL TRUST COLLAPSE IMPACT ON EDGE

WHAT MAKESEDGE?TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY IS A TOOL

FOR GENERATION EDGE, TECHNOLOGY JUST IS— THEY’VE NEVER KNOWN A WORLD WITHOUT IT AND INNOVATION IS EXPECTED

"TECHNOLOGY DOESN'T MAKE ME WHO I AM, IT LETS ME BE WHO I AM."

JILL // 16, CHICAGO // SOUNDING BOARD PARTICIPANT

“I AM BETTING THAT THE POST-MILLENNIALS WILL NOT BEAS ENAMOURED WITH TECHNOLOGY, MULTI-TASKING,

COLLABORATION, SELF-PROMOTION AND OTHER TRAITSWE IDENTIFY WITH KIDS TODAY.”

ROB SALKOWITZ, AUTHOR OF GENERATION BLEND & YOUNG WORLD RISING

WHAT’SCOMING?

A NEW & DIFFERENT GENERATION

IDEALISTIC

CONFORMIST

ACHIEVEMENT OBSESSED

TECHNOLOGY ASPIRANTS

FUTURE FOCUSED

COLLABORATIVE

EXTENDED ADOLESCENCE

REALISTIC

REFORMIST

ACHIEVEMENT REDEFINED

TECHNOLOGY USERS

NOW FOCUSED

INDIVIDUAL

ACCELERATED ADULTHOOD

MILLENNIAL GENERATION EDGE

ENTITLED HARD WORKING

VS.

WHAT DOESTHIS MEANFOR BRANDS?

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BRANDS

CONNECTING WITH GENERATION EDGE WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT TO MILLENNIALS...

“MARKETING TO MILLENNIALS RESULTED IN AN ENDLESS QUEST FOR BRAND AUTHENTICITY. GENERATION EDGE WILL BE ENGAGED BY ANOTHER ‘A’ WORD. THE ALTERNATIVE.”

IAN PIERPOINT, PRESIDENT THE SOUND

THE BRANDS THAT WILL THRIVE WILL BE THE BRANDS THAT APPLY EDGE TO THEIR STRATEGY...

THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO CHANGE.

DOES YOUR POSITIONING ALIGN WITH EDGE’S ALTERNATIVE ASPIRATIONS?

DOES YOUR INNOVATION STRATEGY MEET EDGE’S NEED TO SURVIVE?

DOES YOUR COMMUNICATION HAVE ENOUGH EDGE TO GET NOTICED?

UNDERSTANDING A NEW GENERATIONA THE SOUND PARTNERSHIP STUDY FEB 2013

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