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Edelman (@EdelmanPR) Millennial consultancy (@Edelman8095) (#Edel8095) is the driver of 8095, a global benchmark study on how Millennials connect with brands, make purchasing decisions and share their opinions on products and companies with family, friends, and extended networks. The study, first conducted in 2010 and updated this year, focuses on people born between 1980 and 1995.

(Above graph is from MarketingCharts, @marketingcharts)

·         Over 3/4 of millennial consumers worldwide want to be "entertained" by brands, and a similar proportion are willing to provide feedback on goods and services.

·         About 80% want brands to "entertain" them, with co-creating products the most popular option, mentioned by 40%, ahead of receiving real-time answers to social media enquiries (33%).

·         32% want sponsoring events

·         31% desure companies to deliver engaging online content

·         21% would like to connect with other fans. Forming tie-ups with admired celebrities or public figures score 19%.

·         More broadly, a 74% majority of respondents say they influence the purchase choices of peers and older buyers

·         63% regularly go shopping with their friends, partner, or family.

·         For 73%, sharing feedback with companies after a good or bad experience is a "responsibility," peaking at 90% in China and India, but falling to 59% in Germany and 57% in Canada.

·         When making purchase decisions, 94% of participants use at least 1 external information source and 40% use 4 or more, with search engines and word-of-mouth from friends and family the most common.

·         When asked what wider assistance brands could be in their lives, 77% want financial assistance, such as grants and scholarships for studying.

·         75% desire opportunities for more "life experiences" like trips and lessons in interesting subjects, and 65% want a mentor to help guide them.

·         60% want to tap a brand's "audience," like its Facebook page or ads, to connect with similarly-minded people, and 56% say the same for sharing their views with a wide group.

In 2013, the oldest of the Millennials will turn 33 – many of them are now parents, have careers, and wield spending power and influence in today's world.

Read the news release.

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you understand and reach the Millennial market.

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A study by The Boston Consulting Group (@BCGPerspectives) says young consumers in the US are developing distinct attitudes and habits, providing brand owners with a chance to build long term loyalty. “The Millennial generation (16-34 year olds) is bigger than the Boomer generation (47-65 year olds) and growing in influence.”

Although the youngest members of the Millennial generation are still economically dependent on Mom and Dad, older Millennials are beginning to enter their peak spending years. While they are not yet set in their ways, they are forming preferences, exhibiting tendencies, and influencing one another’s opinions and behaviors. This generation engages with brands, channels, and service models in new ways limited only by the rate of technological advancement and innovation.

·         US Millennials are extremely comfortable with technology....They tend to own multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, and gaming systems.

·         US Millennials are much more likely to multitask while online, constantly moving across platforms — mobile, social, PC, and gaming.

·         Both groups spend roughly the same amount of time online, but Millennials are more likely to use the Internet as a platform to broadcast their thoughts and experiences and to contribute user-generated content. They are far more engaged in activities such as rating products and services (60% versus 46% of non-Millennials) and uploading videos, images, and blog entries to the Web (60% versus 29%).

·         US Millennials spend less time reading printed books and watching TV. Only 26% watch TV for 20 hours or more per week (compared with 49% of non-Millennials), and when they do watch, they’re more likely to do so on their computers through services such as Hulu (42% versus 18%).

·         US Millennials are engaged in consuming and influencing; a generation that embraces business and government and believes that such institutions can bring about global change, one that is generally optimistic, and one that has often-unexpected attitudes and behaviors.

·         US Millennials are all about instant gratification. They put a premium on speed, ease, efficiency, and convenience in all their transactions.

·         For this generation, the definition of “expert” — a person with the credibility to recommend brands, products, and services — has shifted from someone with professional or academic credentials to potentially anyone with firsthand experience, ideally a peer or close friend.

·         US Millennials use technology to connect with a greater number of people, more frequently, and in real time.

·         This desire for connection and shared experience also extends offline. Millennials are much more likely than non-Millennials to engage in group activities — especially with people outside their immediate family.

Millennials believe that working for causes is an integral part of life, and they are drawn to big issues.

Read this in full.

Also see our previous blogposts, "US Consumer Habits Evolving," “Young ‘Millennials’ Losing Faith in Record Numbers,” and "Millennials Aren't Kids Anymore; Plurals Are."

Let Somersault (@smrsault) help you analyze consumer research to better understand your market.

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The above Chart Of The Day (@chartoftheday) depicts a portion of the Pew Research Group’s (@pewinternet) survey of people’s e-reading habits. The most popular way for people under 30 to read ebooks is on their desktop and laptop computers, surpassing e-readers, smartphones, and tablets.

Among the survey’s other findings:

·         83% of Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 read a book in the past year. Some 75% read a print book, 19% read an ebook, and 11% listened to an audiobook.

·         Overall, 47% of younger Americans read long-form e-content such as books, magazines, or newspapers. E-content readers under age 30 are more likely than older e-content readers to say they’re reading more these days due to the availability of e-content (40% vs. 28%).

·         60% of Americans under age 30 used the library in the past year. Some 46% used the library for research, 38% borrowed books (print books, audiobooks, or ebooks), and 23% borrowed newspapers, magazines, or journals.

·         Many of these young readers don’t know they can borrow an ebook from a library, and a majority of them express the wish they could do so on pre-loaded e-readers. Some 10% of the ebook readers in this group have borrowed an ebook from a library and, among those who have not borrowed an ebook, 52% said they were unaware they could do so. About 58% of those under age 30 who don’t currently borrow ebooks from libraries say they would be “very” or “somewhat” likely to borrow pre-loaded e-readers if their library offered that service.

Read this in full.

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you plan your ebook publishing and marketing strategy.

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On MediaPost’s (@MediaPost) Engage:GenY, Sharalyn Hartwell (@SharalynHartwel) executive director at Magid, writes, “Millennials [those born in the ‘80s and ‘90s]...aren’t kids anymore. In fact, according to our Millennial Life Stage Segmentation, only one in ten Millennials (11% of Millennials or approximately 10 million) isn’t an official adult (i.e., is under the age of 18). Approximately 13 million, or 15%, are college students and about 12 million, or 14%, are in flux — not working or married, but don’t have kids. The majority of Millennials are ‘grown-ups’ in the way society tends to define them — they are working (36% or 31 million) or parents (24% or 21 million).”

Millennials are no longer the youth population in this country, which means there’s a new generation of youth for marketers to know.

Presenting the Pluralist Generation. The oldest Plural is 14, turning 15 in 2012. The youngest is a newborn.

Plurals are America’s last generation to have a Caucasian majority, and based on immigration projections, they will also be America’s first generation to be pluralistic, or have no majority race. Their own ethnic composition is a catalyst for the overall ethnic transition in our country. In 2019, less than 50% of live births in this country will be Caucasian. In 2042, just 30 years from now, our entire population will be less than 50% Caucasian. Plurals are being raised in the environment of change and, in their 30s and early 40s, they will be the ones managing the transition into a truly pluralistic society.

Read this in full.

See the news release, "Magid Generational Strategies Reveals America's Newest Generation."

Actually the name of the next generation is still up for grabs. Reveries.com (@cool_news) says that, along with Pluralist, other suggested identifiers are Generation Wii, iGeneration, Gen Tech, Digital Natives, Net Gen, Multi Gen, Post Gen. You can vote on which one you think it should be.

Read this in full.

How will you prepare now for Pluralist consumers of the future? Write your comments below.

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you sort through research statistics and what they mean to effectively communicate your brand's message.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

Warc (@WarcEditors) reports that “young consumers in the US are growing more distinct from their older counterparts when it comes to using digital channels in the purchase process.” According to The Millennial Consumer: Debunking Stereotypes, a poll of 4,000 “millennials” (16-34 year olds) and 1,000 consumers from older cohorts by the Boston Consulting Group (@BCG_Consultant & @BCGPerspectives), 60% of the former group rated goods and services online, versus 46% of the latter cohort.

·         50% of BCG’s more youthful sample have used a mobile device to read reviews and research products while out shopping, measured against 21% for the older panel questioned.

·         53% of millennials look for information or engage with brands on sites like Facebook and Twitter, and 33% favor companies that are active on these sites. Both are 16 percentage points higher than for over-35 year olds.

·         60% of 16-34 year olds upload videos, images, and blogs, doubling the total logged by over-35 year olds.

·         59% of the first audience own a smartphone, easily surpassing the 33% of participants falling outside this age range.

·         Just 26% of millennials watch television for more than 20 hours per week, compared to 49% of more mature interviewees.

Read this in full.

Read the full report (pdf).

For an added perspective on this demographic, see USA TODAY's "Millennials Struggle with Financial Literacy."

Also see our previous blogpost, “Young ‘Millennials’ Losing Faith in Record Numbers.”

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you market your brand to Millennials.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard; especially the Research tab.

Millennials Survey Report

A growing tide of young Americans is drifting away from the religions of their childhood — and most of them are ending up in no religion at all.

According to a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute (@publicreligion) and Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, & World Affairs (@GUberkleycenter), 1 in 4 young adults choose “unaffiliated” when asked about their religion. But most within this unaffiliated group — 55% — identified with a religious group when they were younger.

·         Across denominations, the net losses are uneven, with Catholics losing the highest proportion of childhood adherents — nearly 8% — followed by white mainline Protestant traditions, which lost 5%.

·         Among Catholics, whites are twice as likely as Hispanics to say they’re no longer affiliated with the church.

·         White evangelical and black denominations fare better, with a net loss of about 1%. Non-Christian groups post a modest 1% net increase in followers.

·         The only group that has significant growth between childhood and young adulthood is the unaffiliated — a jump from 11% to 25%.

·         The study also finds a morally divided generation, with 50% of respondents saying right and wrong depends on the situation and 45% believing in absolute morality.

·         An overwhelming majority of white evangelical Protestants (68%) say they believe some things are always wrong, compared to 49% of black Protestants, 45% of Catholics, and 35% of the unaffiliated.

Read this in full.

Read the full report (pdf).

Also see our blogpost, "US Consumer Habits Evolving."

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you market your brand to Millennials.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard; especially the Research tab.

According to a new survey of technology experts, teens and young adults brought up from childhood with a continuous connection to each other and to information will be nimble, quick-acting multitaskers who count on the Internet as their external brain and who approach problems in a different way from their elders.

Many of the experts surveyed by Elon University’s (@elonuniversity) Imagining the Internet Center and The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project (@pewinternet) say the effects of hyperconnectivity and the always-on lifestyles of young people will be mostly positive between now and 2020.

But the experts also predict this generation will exhibit a thirst for instant gratification and quick fixes, a loss of patience, and a lack of deep-thinking ability due to what one referred to as “fast-twitch wiring.”

Survey respondents say it’s vital to reform education and emphasize digital literacy. And a notable number say trends are leading to a future in which most people are shallow consumers of information, in danger of mirroring George Orwell’s 1984 of control by powerful interests in an age of entertaining distractions.

Read this report in full.

Also see our previous blogpost “Introducing Generation C: Americans 18-34 Are the Most Connected.”

How does this research and these predictions help you determine the future needs of your consumers and the ways you can publish life-changing content to meet those needs? Write your comments below.

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you identify blue ocean strategy for your brand.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

Born sometime between the launch of the VCR and the commercialization of the Internet, Americans 18-34 are redefining media consumption with their unique embrace of all things digital. According to Nielsen (@NielsenWire) and NM Incite’s (@nmincite) US Digital Consumer Report, this group — dubbed “Generation C” by Nielsen — is taking their personal connection — with each other and content — to new levels, new devices, and new experiences like no other age group.

The latest Census reports that Americans 18-34 make up 23% of the US population, yet they represent an outsized portion of consumers watching online video (27%), visiting social networking/blog sites (27%), owning tablets (33%) and using a smartphone (39%). Their ownership and use of connected devices makes them incredibly unique consumers, representing both a challenge and opportunity for marketers and content providers alike. Generation C is engaging in new ways and there are more touch points for marketers to reach them.

Access the report (registration required).

Also see our blogpost "Millennials Will Benefit & Suffer Due to Their Hyperconnected Lives."

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you navigate the changing demographics in today’s publishing world.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard; especially the Research tab.

The Millennials are the latest generation to emerge in America. Currently defined as those between the ages of 18 and 29, Millennials’ characteristics include optimism, high technical comfort level, liberal leanings, and a solid educational background. Here’s an Infographic by Online Graduate Programs.

Changing Role of Christianity: Christian leaders are relatively unknown by the majority of Americans; half of Americans believe all people are eventually saved by God.

Downsized American Dreams: Americans’ are increasingly willing to accept limitations in life, including changing their spending and savings habits as well as distinguishing needs from wants. Many are also reducing their financial donations.

Millennials Rethink Christianity: The Christian community is struggling to remain connected with the next generation of teens and young adults. In particular, the church is “losing” many young creatives (like designers, artists, writers, musicians, and actors) as well as young science-minded students (such as medical students, engineers, biologists and mathematicians).

The Digital Family: Technology has become a part of modern life and is deeply embedded in today’s families. Yet, the challenges brought on by technology in the home are not all created by teens. Parents are becoming just as dependent on digital tools.

Maximizing Spiritual Change: Most Americans call themselves spiritual people and Christians. Yet, spiritual transformation is rare and fleeting.

Women Making it Alone: Teenage and young adult women are learning to prepare themselves for a changing social structure. For teens, this means focusing on career now. For young women, this means not expecting to be married until the late twenties, at least.

Read this in full.

Another way of determining trends is to see what terms people searched on Google for in 2011. Google Zeitgeist 2011 provides that info:

Video Year in Review

As for what people are watching, there were more than 1 trillion playbacks on YouTube in 2011. The highlight video is below. See the top ten individually.