During discussions with colleagues, we often talk about how Millennials are influencing and shaping communication in the world. Surveys like this one by Pew Research Center answer that question by affirming numbers that Millennials are everywhere and make up for a significant influence in the world.
Research goes on to add that Millennnials will dominate the workforce in the future. They are the people who we make friends with today, the young ones we see across the street every day.
And since they are all around us, they most definitely play a role in the way we communicate and use new technologies.
Are you a Millennial
Most probably.
Millennials are the people born after 1980 until the year 2000. This generation is right now in their twenties and thirties. Some of them might still be in college.
Why are Millennials important. Research tells us, Millennials will account for 50% of the work force by 2020.
That means that the world is going to be defined by the way Millennials will make choices, decisions and drive influence.
These people will be in Human Resource, Marketing and Communication departments driving strategies into action items. Important. Important. Important.
Get to know the Millennials
What do we know about the Millennials today. How are they different from the previous generation, how are they not so different? What do they like? How do they shop, communicate, like to work, make decisions? How millennials are driving new communication trends around us?
Our marketing efforts, our communication campaigns and our social media presence as business entities needs these insights.
Millennials like innovation, causes and good business ethics
A good analysis can be found here where Deloitte’s third annual Millennial Survey asked nearly 7,800 Millennials from 28 countries across Western Europe, North America, Latin America, BRICS and Asia-Pacific about business, government and innovation.
The results provide an insight into what Generation Y wants from business, government, and most importantly, the future workplace.
Some keys findings that help define the new Y-Generation (an excerpt from the results)
Business could achieve more
While most Millennials (74 percent) believe business is having a positive impact on society by generating jobs (48 percent) and increasing prosperity (71 percent), they think business can do much more. Additionally, 50 percent of Millennials surveyed want to work for a business with ethical practices.
Government is not doing enough
Millennials say government has the greatest potential to address society’s biggest issues but are overwhelmingly failing to do so.
Organizations must foster innovative thinking
Millennials want to work for organizations that support innovation. In fact, 78 percent of Millennials are influenced by how innovative a company is when deciding if they want to work there.
They believe the biggest barriers to innovation are management attitude (63 percent), operational structures and procedures (61 percent), and employee skills, attitudes, and (lack of) diversity (39 percent).
Organizations must nurture emerging leaders
Over one in four Millennials are ‘asking for a chance’ to show their leadership skills.
Millennials are eager to make a difference
Millennials believe the success of a business should be measured in terms of more than just its financial performance, with a focus on improving society among the most important things it should seek to achieve.
Millennials are also charitable and keen to participate in ‘public life’
63 percent of Millennials donate to charities, 43 percent actively volunteer or are a member of a community organization, and 52 percent have signed petitions.
There are different factors affecting Millennials in the way they work, shop, live and how they make choices and decisions. Every country and region has its own story to tell.
Millennials in Pakistan tell their own story
For a country like Pakistan where more than 60% of the population is youth, Millennials are important players in the way the country’s social, economical and political environment is evolving.
Mobile Marketing in the country is a common trend. Most people in the country use a mobile phone. Its accessibility and usage makes it an highly effective tool for communication.
And then there is social media. Twitter, facebook, Linkedin are the most preferred social networks and the uptake of social media is growing by the day.
Plus the Y generation in the country has grown up with a media industry that was also born before 2000 and has grown into a predominantly news industry over the years. Which also provides an insight into what people are watching and being influenced by in their daily lives.
The Millennials are politically active as the election of 2013 showed (Dawn news) that out of 83 million registered voters, 47% were under the age of 35. Mostly Millennials.
These are the people who buy your products, who listen to your communication and respond to your social media campaigns. These are the people who use their mobile phones to stay connected with families and colleagues.
They are your audience. They are your listeners. They are your eyeballs. They are the future of business and communication.
Millennials are the future consumers
Which is why businesses everywhere need to understand the Millennials. An insight into what they like and what they expect from a product or service can help form marketing strategies that are targeted and more effective.
Millennials are the future of workforce
Human resource needs to adapt to the way Millennials like to communicate and interact. Especially for recruiters, the job depends on where the millennial would like to work, what kind of companies do they prefer and what kind of a work ethic are they going to be able to sustain.
Internal communication as a function is becoming increasingly informal as millennials adopt the use of texting, messengers and apps over emails and formal meetings.
Millennials are stakeholders
Similarly marketers, content experts and communication specialists need to take into account the analytics that tell us more about Millennials. The way the Y-generation communicates and likes to communicate is of course vital to how we manage and work with different brands and drive influence marketing.
Do let us know how you think Millennials are driving new communication trends in the world. We would love to know more about the Y-generation and their preferences. Leave us a comment or write to us at info@wordsmith.com.pk. Meanwhile take a look at this infographic that’s sums up Deloitte’s study at a glance.
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