A Brief History of Generation Y - Workology

A Brief History of Generation Y - Workology A Brief History of Generation Y Equipped with over 200 billion dollars in buyer power per year, Gen Y is the next generation that marketing professionals must focus on to sustain business. This birth of Gen Y creates a new form of marketing that no longer aims towards Baby Boomers or Gen Xers. Supercilious marketing gimmicks no longer engage us. We want real time, convenient, simple, and reliable customer service. No longer is it feasible for a company to limit its marketing strategy to the normal 8-5 schedule. A Brief History of Generation Y So who are theses Gen Yers that are forcing companies to take on new strategies, funnel millions into new ideas, and market to a generation that no longer rely (or trust) on simple advertisements.  Its up in the air what age range commits to the tech-savvy Gen Yers. The general consensus is that anyone born anywhere from 1983 to 1997 can be considered Gen Y, give or take a few years. A few weeks ago a featured question on  #jobhuntchat, a twitter-based job hunt chat co-hosted by  @Cornonthejob  and  @blogging4jobs, dealt with the topic of Gen Y being an age or mindset. Technically I believe it is an age group, but with the advancement of technology and the ability to be connected from anywhere in the world, it has transformed into a mindset. Being a mindset, companies are able to promote their business in a more attractive manner relative to a broader spectrum of consumers. Gen Y grew up around the Internet, cell phones, iPods, video games, and cell phones. They are tech savvy, multitaskers in the greatest sense of the word, able to talk on the phone while surfing the Internet and watching television at the same time. Facebook is littered with groups similar to  You were born in the 80s If. Ive compiled my own  very condensed  list that references Gen Y. You know you are Gen Y if T.V. is a background noise  Im not saying you dont watch television, but besides a few favorite T.V. shows, you are more in-tune with your friends recently updated Facebook status, twitter update, or taking down those pictures your friends put up after you got wasted and puked on yourself at the bar last night. You€™re Socially Conscious    Whether it be political, social, or environmental, you are always looking up the latest gossip on who Paris Hilton slept with this time or which White House scandal happened this time around. For me, I am more environmentally conscious.  When topics such as the BP Oil Spill go viral and Gen Y unites together something needs to be fixed because Gen Y is able to cripple a brand. You value the opinion of your friends over ads   When you see an ad online for the newest gadget, you dont always believe what it reports. Youll check out your friends to see if its something you really like. Have you ever seen an advertisement for an iphone application that costs 99 cents and before you buy it, you want to try it out first? On a friends iphone? This is the same principle. This generation doesnt put a lot of trust in advertisements. Theyve lied, cheated, and bent the truth in the past, so why believe them? Since the buying power has shifted from Gen X to Gen Y, marketing professionals will now have to build trust and become more reputable in order for this generation to take them seriously. The Gen Y portion of blogging4jobs.com will focus on marketing trends and techniques that have worked. Itll incorporate connecting with the generation in real time and through the use of branding and advertising campaigns. If you are in marketing, public relations, business, or any industry that has changed the way you operate due to the shift in generations, whats one thing that has changed? If you dont realize the shift in buying power, I dont think your company will be in business much longer. Look at  Blockbuster? They werent quick enough. Blake McCammon, is an intern at Xceptional HR and is also our Gen Y twice monthly blog contributor.  Connect with Blake on  LinkedIn,  Twitter, and  Facebook.  Blake is a recent grad of Northeastern State University with a degree in Business Administration.  During school he created and managed his universitys social media strategy while also spearheading a university Go Green campaign.