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Q: Characteristics of Generation Y or GenY ( Answered,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Characteristics of Generation Y or GenY
Category: Business and Money > Economics
Asked by: mac44-ga
List Price: $50.00
Posted: 15 Mar 2006 17:32 PST
Expires: 14 Apr 2006 18:32 PDT
Question ID: 707769
Demographic information on GenY. They were born 1977-1994, so they're
12-29 years in 2006.
How many U.S. people are in this age group and if possible by year
(1977-1994)  - charts very desirable.
Are GenY divided into segments - i.e. 12-18, 18-24, 24-29  or some
breakdown.  What are the characteristics of the breakdown (whatever
the age groupings are.)
Who are early adopters or what are the characteristics of GenY early adopters?
Who are opinion leaders for this group?  They may be GenY or not.  Why
(characteristics).
What are their preferences for movies, music, TV, games, Internet
site, sports, athletes,  brands, digital devices, personal appliances,
fashion, online, hobbies.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Characteristics of Generation Y or GenY
Answered By: umiat-ga on 16 Mar 2006 00:10 PST
 
Hello, mac44-ga!

 The following references should help to answer your questions on Gen
Y. Much of the data is mixed together within the various references.
If you need additional information once you have read through the
articles, don't hesitate to ask and I will try to help further.


POPULATION
===========


Gen Y's number approximately 71 million:

"Born between 1977 and 1994, Gen Y makes up about 25% of the population."
http://www.usps.com/communications/news/press/2005/pr05_087.htm

"Born roughly between 1980 and 2000, Gen Y-ers are the 70 million-plus
offspring of Boomer parents, or about a quarter of all Americans."
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/marketing/market_research/tough_customers_how_to_reach_gen_y.mspx

"Gen Y is the hard-to-reach but free-spending generation of about 71
million 8- to 23-year-olds." http://www.usatoday.com/money/mlead.htm

==

Birth Rate Chart:

Live Births and Birth Rates, by Year - Sources: Department of Health
and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005067.html



WHO IS GENERATION Y?
=====================

Four very comprehensive overviews of Generation Y can be found in the links:

"Who are the Gen Y students?" Chico State Inside. February 10, 2005.
http://www.csuchico.edu/pub/inside/2_05_05/pause.html

=

"Creating Winning Products for Generation Y."
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:0mZ_P8lEx6YJ:www.mediamanagementcenter.org/updates/data/geny--products.pps+million+Gen+Y&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=12

 or Powerpoint
 http://www.mediamanagementcenter.org/updates/data/geny--products.pps

=

"The Gen Y Factor." CADM EF Academic Update. May 13, 2005
http://www.lieberandassociates.com/CADMEF/Presentations/The%20Gen%20Y%20Factor.ppt



Early adopters
===============

"Although promotional spending is as tight in the wireless market as
anywhere else these days, everyone in the wireless industry - and I
mean everyone - wants to connect to the so-called Gen Y. They're
supposed to be the early adopters of the wireless world, and the
ultimate wireless consumers."

From "The Lollapalooza Syndrome: When Meatspace and Cellspace are
Redundant," By Douglas Rushkoff, Tue Aug 26
http://www.thefeaturearchives.com/topic/Culture/The_Lollapalooza_Syndrome__When_Meatspace_and_Cellspace_are_Redundant.html

==

"We talk a lot about the younger demographic, Generation Y, because
they're the early adopters," says Doyle. "They're an early indicator
of what will have mass appeal. By portraying a slightly younger group,
you can often drag Generation X in because they don't want to be left
behind. Gen Y also may get more attention because advertisers believe
it's still forming brand loyalties."

Read "Odd Gen out," by Joan Engebretson. American Demographics,  May 1, 2004  
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_4_26/ai_n6080025

==

"Known as early adopters of technology, Generation Y is making
high-speed Internet access less of a luxury and more of a necessity."
http://www.genyer.org/about/index.php

==

"Most adults include a few early adopters, many mainstream users and a
few laggards when it comes to using technology. Gen Y'ers are so far
ahead they don't adapt, they internalize it. Adoption means doing old
things in new ways - check bank account, shopping, auctions, stock
trading. Internalizing means doing new things in new ways - file
sharing, demand driven pricing, multi-tasking (only 10% say they don't
do other things while online....."

Read "Gen Y Information Use Patterns," by Ekaterina Walsh
http://institute21.stanford.edu/Current_Programs/2000_Institute/Presenters/papers/summary/summ-walsh.htm



Attitudes
===========

For the differences in attitudes of Gen Y'rs compared with other
generations, see the chart on the following link:

"The Generation Map below is a summary of the recent generational
research conducted by McCrindle Research Pty Ltd." See:
https://campaigns.drake.com.au/cpa/htm/htm_resourcecentre.asp

==

"What?s Gen Y like? Sociologists and demographers tend to describe
Generation Y in a positive tone, unlike the sometimes negative picture
painted of the generation before them, Gen X. As one expert explains,
"In contrast to Gen X, the upper end of Gen Y came of age during an
eight-year period of unprecedented economic growth. In the late 1990s
they lived in sunny idealism with confidence about the future. They
are more trustful of parents and authorities than Gen X and are not
characterized as angry as Gen X often has been." Some experts describe
Gen Y as Gen X on fast-forward, with self-esteem."

Key characteristics of Gen Y include:

Young and trend-conscious 
Idealistic, optimistic, and flexible 
Hard workers; highly entrepreneurial 
Socially responsible; particularly concerned about the environment 
More ethnically diverse than any prior U.S. generation 
Very comfortable with technology; like to multi-task 
Have a hunger for feedback and rewards 
Spiritually traditional: 89% of Gen Y state that they believe in God

Read "The Newest Adult Consumer."
http://www.inspiriogifts.com/Trends&News/Archive/Volume2/08_03/issue1.htm



Marketing to Gen Y
=====================

Read "Who's Filling Gen-Y's Shoes," by Dr. Pet Markiewicz.
http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=156 

==

Read "Generation Y: Today's teens--the biggest bulge since the
boomers--may force marketers to toss their old tricks."
http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_07/b3616001.htm

==

A survey of 2,574 U.S. consumers commissioned by nontraditional
marketing agency Jack Morton reports (via Adrants and
MediaBuyerPlanner) that Gen Y consumers prefer live marketing over TV
and Internet advertising."
 
See "Gen Y Prefers Events over TV, Internet."
http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2005/12/01/gen_y_prefers_events_over_tv_internet/

==

"They're growing up on the wired alphabet: PC, CD, PDA, DVD and CUL8R.
They average $100 a week in disposable income, spending a stunning
$150 billion a year. And they influence another $50 billion in family
purchases, bumping the total to $200 billion."

Read further for marketing strategies unique to Gen Y consumers...
 
See "Tough customers: how to reach Gen Y," By Joanna L. Krotz
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/resources/marketing/market_research/tough_customers_how_to_reach_gen_y.mspx



Work attitudes
==============

"Generation Y is much less likely to respond to the traditional
command-and-control type of management still popular in much of
today's workforce," says Jordan Kaplan, an associate managerial
science professor at Long Island University-Brooklyn in New York.
"They've grown up questioning their parents, and now they're
questioning their employers. They don't know how to shut up, which is
great, but that's aggravating to the 50-year-old manager who says, 'Do
it and do it now.' "

Read "Generation Y: They've arrived at work with a new attitude," By
Stephanie Armour. USA Today. Nov. 2005
http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm



Political Attitudes 
=====================

"Marketing VOX reported recently about a GenWorldTeen study release by
energy BBDO, announcing the findings that Generation Y teens in the
U.S. "appear to be more traditional and conservative than many of
their global counterparts, including teenagers from India, China,
Germany, and France." Even more interesting to note from these
findings was the clear distinction Gen Y teens in the U.S. are making
when defining themselves as conservative or liberal, or Red Teen vs.
Blue Teen, as stated."

"Surprisingly, the MTV generation of cause-marketing campaigns remains
50/50, with half considering themselves conservative and half
considering themselves liberal. The report went on to find that
compared to the global 55% of Gen Y teens believing in God, 89% of
U.S. Generation Y teens do. The article states "Blue" teens tend to
follow innovative brands such as Sony and AOL, whereas "Red" teens
follow Disney, Gap and Kelloggs.

From "Gen Y Brands Turn to Politics." March 7, 2006
http://www.genyvoodoo.com/2006/03/generation-y-brands-turn-to-politics.html

Read complete article - "U.S. Teens among Most Conservative, Brands
Forced to Take Sides."
http://www.marketingvox.com/archives/2006/03/01/us_teens_among_most_conservative_brands_forced_to_take_sides/index.php



Media Use
===========

"Technology is the buzz word when it comes to Generation Y. Personal
computers and the Internet have transformed both the home and school
environment. According to Teenage Research Unlimited, more than 80
percent of teenagers have Internet access, whether at home, school,
work, a friend's home or the library. A recent study by the Fortino
Group further predicts that current 10- to 17-year olds will spend
one-third of their lives (23 years) on the Internet.......

"Media usage among Generation Y is generally concentrated in the
broadcast media, especially in radio usage, although there is a
delineation across age groups. According to interviews conducted with
members of Generation Y in the Chicago area, the heaviest users of
television are those below 12, while high school and college students
use the radio most frequently for news and entertainment. They also
read more magazines than younger members of the generation do. College
students are most likely to read newspapers regularly, supplemented by
radio and the Internet....

Read "The Risk of Misreading Generation Y: The Need for New Marketing Strategies."
http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/research/risk/geny/moreabout.htm



Home Ownership
===============

Read "Gen Y Knocking At the Door of Ownership." Washington Times.
November 18, 2005. http://www.twentysomething.com/washtime.htm



A final Overview
================

If you want to read a bit more, you might be interested in the
Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y

==

I hope these references help to answer your questions!


Sincerely,

umiat


Search Strategy

Generation Y
Gen Y demographics and population
Gen Y trends OR attitudes OR beliefs
U.S. births by year
Gen Y early adopters
Gen Y leaders
Gen Y politics
Gen Y opinion leaders OR political leaders

Clarification of Answer by umiat-ga on 16 Mar 2006 00:17 PST
Two more articles you might find interesting: 


Read "Gen Y work towards a life, not a career," by Adele Horin.
Fairfax Digital. June 4, 2005
http://www.smh.com.au/news/adele-horin/gen-y-work-towards-a-life-not-a-career/2005/06/03/1117568376872.html?oneclick=true

=

Some Gen Y college students, called "Twixters", are undecided about their future:

Read "Twixter" undecided," By Brian Stelzer. J201 Reporter. Indiana
University. 2005
http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/gallery/j201spring05/routes/mzennie.html
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