millennial tensions: a story of change
TRANSCRIPT
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MILLENNIAL TENSIONS
PREPARED BY THE SOUND
www.thesoundhq.com
A story of change
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UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
The size and influence of the generation is one of the few things everyone agrees on. As such, they’re been relentlessly “solved”, “decoded”, “debunked”…
We’ve been sold “everything you need to hear” then “everything you’ve heard was wrong.”
In our experience, their story is too complicated to be told in a few stats and bold claims. To tell our version, we’ll start where they did, at the beginning…
OVERSIMPLIFIED
Though there is no lack of opinion, there seems to be a lack of consensus.
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CONTEXT SHAPES A GENERATION’S TRAITS, VALUES AND WORLD-VIEWS - IT GIVES THEM THEIR COLLECTIVE IDENTITY.
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LEADERSHIP
THE MILLENNIAL STORY CAN BEST BE SUMMED UP BY CHANGE
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CHANGE IN TONE
CHANGE IN TOOLS
CHANGE IN TOTAL
LEADERSHIP
Boomers took a massively optimistic and involved approach to parenting (often called ‘helicoptering’), empowering & protecting Millennial youth
But then… High expectations met harsh realities - economic recession, crowded job markets, crippling loans and no sign of the many guarantees promised in youth.
Change in Tone
THE REALITY CHECK
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LEADERSHIP
There is no way to overstate the importance of tech in this story. It shaped how they learn, love, create, share, socialize, identify…
Born too late to be intimidated by it, tech took the driver’s seat to both the cause & solution to the majority of their problems.
Change in Tools
THE TECH REVOLUTION
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LEADERSHIP
Millennials had a front seat to the fastest pace of change the world has seen yet. Entire institutions rose & vanished in fractions of the time it used to take.
The only certainty has been the lack thereof, and the generation has grown to expect shifting sands year to year.
Change in Total
THE CONSTANT FLUX
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This recipe of opportunity & crisis, being fueled by tech and living in continuous flux led to a generation widely considered to a a walking contradiction…
8 KEY TENSIONS…
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1MASSIVELY INFORMED CONNECTION FATIGUE
Unprecedented Ease of Access to Information ‣Highly aware of local & global issues ‣Quick “experts” on most topics ‣ Far reaching network of personal &
professional lives
Constantly “On” and Living in Constant Comparison ‣ Guinea pigs for the tech-fueled life ‣ Learning impact of overstimulation ‣ Brand new social struggles (ex:
unrealistic online personas)
LEADERSHIP
2INFINITE CHOICE DECISION PARALYSIS
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Trained to Expect Unlimited Options & Ability to Choose the Best ‣ Food, music, TV, movies, amazon ‣ Rise of online dating (Tinder) ‣Only know the world of total, unfiltered,
often free access
Unlearned the Art of Making Tradeoffs ‣ “Want it all”, but struggle with the
reality of too many options ‣ Need for curation and tailored
recommendations (of everything)
LEADERSHIP
3JACK OF ALL TRADES MASTERS OF NONE
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Have Desire & Ability to Try Their Hand at Almost Anything ‣ Empowered by Boomer parents ‣ Easy access to DIY-everything
(YouTube, Pinterest, Etsy) ‣ Value creativity, ingenuity, etc.
Breadth of Experiences Without Depth & Commitment ‣ Generalists vs. Specialists ‣Multi-tasking extraordinaries ‣ Search for perfect fit vs. diving in ‣ Contributes to identity crisis
LEADERSHIP
4EXPLORE THE WORLD CRAVE STABILITY
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Lives are in Constant Movement with Few Things Certain & Static ‣ Take longer to reach steady ground
(marriage, own vs. rent, car, kids) ‣Most expected milestones put off or
completely redefined
Attempt to Consume As Many Experiences as Possible ‣Most common (but accurate) insight -
not possession driven ‣ Exposure to a broader world ‣ Value adventure & spontaneity
LEADERSHIP
Before Midlife Already the Most Reminiscent Generation Yet ‣ Reemergence of youth pop-culture
(barcades, adult summer camp) ‣ Pace of change leads to idealized
simpler, more stress-free times
Highly Motivated to Achieve the Benefits of Adulthood ‣ Strong desire to be taken seriously ‣ Driven by extended youth context,
uncertainty of reaching goals ‣ Respond to experience messaging
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5NOSTALGIA OVERLOAD MATURITY STRIVING
LEADERSHIP
6ACHIEVEMENT OBSESSED DRIVEN BY PASSION
Future Oriented & Fixated on Achieving Lofty Ambitions ‣Witnessed success of Boomer
parents, believe it’s self-made ‣ Set big life goals and value reaching
them over most things
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Refuse to Settle for Less Than Their High Bar for Success ‣Means “doing something I love” ‣While offering me all the things I’ve
been told I deserve ‣ Reality is chronically stressful
LEADERSHIP
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7EXPRESSIVE & OPEN FLUID IDENTITY
Most Accepting & Comfortable with Sharing ‣ Brought up in a wold constantly
creating, sharing, & defining yourself ‣Most progressive generation to date
(drugs, social issues, etc.)
Struggling to Find a Rooted & Real Sense of Self ‣ Big investment of time, energy, and
effort spent curating self-image ‣ Yearn for a steady and defined identity,
real not digital
LEADERSHIP
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8RIGHTFULLY FRUSTRATED RELENTLESSLY OPTIMISTIC
Hold Contempt for State of the World They Were Handed ‣ Feel their generation inherited the
problems of their parents ‣ Angry at the way many things were
(and still are) done
Despite Setbacks, Feel Things Will Improve (and They Can Help) ‣ Strongly feel “everything will work out
in the end” ‣ View themselves as heroes, and refuse
to believe they’re helpless
TENSIONS ARE GREAT
We often seek them out in our studies. Life is messy. People are confusing creatures. Finding a tension is a good indicator of stumbling on some truth.
EMBRACE THE CONFUSION
A tension means an opportunity to say something interesting. It affords brands the chance to step in and ease the struggle (be a hero!), or at least show a bit of empathy by recognizing & admitting it exists.
KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING
A final note on “solving” Millennials - they’re constantly shifting and evolving (much like their world). We speak to them every day, about nearly every topic.
Reach out to [email protected] for more information and specificity on the generation in your category!
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
V A N C O U V E R | N E W Y O R K | L O N D O N | T O R O N T O | C H I C A G O | M U M B A I
W W W . T H E S O U N D H Q . C O M
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IMAGE REFERENCES
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