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Current Youth Landscape: Insights on Young North Americans

An overview of the current youth landscape in North America, highlighting the demographics, psychographics, and values of young Canadians and Americans. This presentation by Mike Farrell from Youthography provides valuable insights into the mindset and trends of young North Americans.

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Current Youth Landscape: Insights on Young North Americans

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  1. Young North Americans NowAn Overview of the Current Continental Youth Landscape Presented to: CIPS / Microsoft Presented by: Mike Farrell Partner and CSO, Youthography / Y Syndicate May 2007

  2. about youthography • Founded in 1999, Youthography is North America's only full service research, strategy, marketing, promotion and creative agency dedicated exclusively to youth • Youth market research, strategy and marketing • Plenty of research (quant and qual) • We put ‘youth at the epicenter’ • Access to over 2.5 million young Canadians through partner databases (3 X that in USA and EU) • A lot of marketing • ‘money where mouth is’ factor

  3. company model • We don’t offer one service and do it for everyone • We do the opposite: we do lots of things but for one distinct age range (tweens, teens and young adults) • We respond to a market, rather than a product… • And thus put the young North Americans at the centre of everything we do • Also, we’re immature

  4. some of our clients

  5. about youthography • Working in both the private and public sector gives us a realistic perspective on all that young North Americans are doing, wanting, needing • Appropriate for our discussion….

  6. public? private? • Now, more than ever, you all need to understand that effective marketing efforts (for HR, for government, for the NFP sector) have to work like successful private efforts • Your “competition” for mindshare and transference of ideas is Nintendo Wii, Pepsi, Much Music, Kanye West, Borat and so on…

  7. a very brief overview of their mindset

  8. so… ARE younger Canadians different than previous generations?

  9. yes…

  10. some important demographics • 80% of them come from families with only 1-2 children at home • 60% of women work out of home • 67% of unmarried 20-24-year-olds live at home • 88% high school completion rate • 1 in every 2 young people (20-24) attending post-secondary school • More students working part-time and taking longer to graduate than previous generation • Very immigrant-based culture (particularly in urban areas – Toronto, New York, LA, Montreal, Vancouver, Miami) • 90% + have regular access to Internet

  11. impact • These demographic factors drive more youth trends than anything else… …keep this in mind as we move forward

  12. psychographics • There is a prolonged pre-adult life stage • This is one thing you need to know…

  13. psychographics • Partially getting into adulthood earlier, but fully getting into adulthood later than ever… • Average age of educational enrollment: <4 • Average age of 1st menstruation: 11 • Average age of 1st cigarette: 13 • Average age of 1st intercourse: <16 • Average age at graduation: 26 (median 23) • Average age of 1st marriage: 29 • Average age of 1st childbirth: 29

  14. psychographics • Compare those numbers to 20-years ago • Average age of educational enrollment: <4 • Average age of 1st menstruation: 12 • Average age of 1st cigarette: 13 • Average age of 1st intercourse: <18 • Average age at graduation: 24 (median 22) • Average age of 1st marriage: 25 • Average age of 1st childbirth: 26

  15. psychographics • Think about this: how old is someone who is on-line all the time, likes movies, has a cell phone and texts with it, is in school but working part-time, sort of knows what they want to do with their life, is unmarried, childless, drinks beer, has sex, lives at home, and smokes a bit of dope on some weekends? Are they 15 or 25?

  16. psychographics Are they 15 or 25?

  17. demographics  psychographics • Fewer siblings at home = reliance on friends • Single parent households = greater self-reliance • Staying longer at home / in school = longer “pre-adult” stage • Immigration = colour blindness and diversity • Internet access = tons of information, more universal cultural context, less rural vs. urban divide

  18. other psychographics • Psychographic trending with youth in North America continues to show a group that puts high priority on: • Responsibility (to self and society) • Balance • Individuality • Pragmatism • This is one thing you need to know…

  19. other psychographics Simply rate each of the following concepts, ideas or values in terms of their importance to YOUR LIFE n=1480 “Ping” Quarterly National Study / Spring 2006 / 13-29 year olds n=1693 “Ping US” National Study / Fall 2006 / 14-29 year olds

  20. other psychographics Simply rate each of the following concepts, ideas or values in terms of their importance to YOUR LIFE n=1480 “Ping” Quarterly National Study / Spring 2006 / 13-29 year olds n=1693 “Ping US” National Study / Fall 2006 / 14-29 year olds

  21. translation? • Young North Americans are: • Increasingly self-reliant • Increasingly independent and expressive • Increasingly culturally aware • Increasingly media aware • Increasingly pragmatic

  22. what they value • Communication • Relationships • Information • Diversity • Empowerment • And what sews it all together…Technology

  23. technology ownership n=1605, Canadian youth 9-29, Ping national survey, August 2005 n=1962, American youth 9-29, Ping US national survey, Fall 06

  24. technology ownership • Young North Americans are extremely technology-enabled • Their tech ownership acts as a potent window into media opportunities and new communication vectors • It also gives us a window into how important communication is to them • All of this is currently in a state of almost perpetual transition

  25. media in transitionculture in transition

  26. media in transition • There has never been such a huge shift in media habits as over the past decade • This is the one thing you need to know…

  27. media in transition • Media exposure in an average day for youth: bathroom stalls movie theatres radio internet bus stop school magazines public transit mall newspaper billboards TV wild postings video games SMS

  28. time spent with media n=1417, Canadian Youth 9-29, Ping national survey, October 2005 n=1962, American youth 9-29, Ping US national survey, Fall 06

  29. unprecedented! • Incredible media saturation • Remarkable media literacy • Always known a multi channel universe • Had the ‘Net’ as long as it’s mattered • More advertising than ever before • More sources of communication than ever

  30. media in transition • We need to look at advertising and culture in aggregate… • …as there has never been such a huge shift in media habits as over the past decade • This is the one thing you need to know…

  31. media: the 3 Cs • Change: constant, regular change in forms of media from rampant technological change • Charge: consumers are in charge of when and how they interact with media • Challenge: consumers challenge the traditional top-down model of cultural creation

  32. 1. change • Then (1980-1996): • CDs, VHS, 30 Channels: little change in technology • HMV, movie theatres, broadcast radio: traditional models of consuming culture • Then to Now (1996-2006): • CD to MP3, DVD, Gaming Consoles, All-in-ones • Complete reversal in way culture is distributed • Now: • Huge speed of change is regular • On-demand culture, with one device to rule them all

  33. technology in transition

  34. 2002 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006

  35. 2. charge • Then (1980-1996): • TV, Movies, Music: someone else’s schedule, delivery devices, w/ little variety: little personal control, choice • You have to watch commercials, be home at a certain time, use limited radio formats, go to a store, etc. • Then to Now (1996-2006): • Internet and digital culture changes everything • Culture-on-demand! • Now: • Seemingly infinite choice of what to consume, when, how • Control shifting from creators to consumers

  36. 3. challenge • Then (1980-1996): • Everything is top-down • Corporate machine creates culture; youth absorb it • Then to Now (1996-2006): • “The Street” starts to drive and dictate trends • Coolhunters and tipping points • Now: • Young people either directly create culture… • …or set trends that the corporate world replicates • First seen in fashion (as always) moved to music, film and television, marketing and on-line

  37. …and they adopt it quickly • Cultural Creation • MySpace • YouTube • GarageBand • Indie Movies • Home-made TV, Movies • Blogging • SNL Digital Shorts • Andy Milonakis • wikipedia

  38. 3. challenge • And they’re not just challenging content creation and delivery methods... • The power they increasingly command via their PVR, iPod and cheap digicams is making them increasingly challenge ALL top-down models • Corporate structure, government, organized religion, traditional cultural milestones are all under the magnifying glass now… • …and seen as symbolic totems from another era to many youth and young adults

  39. transition n = 1480 “Ping” Quarterly National Study / Spring 2006 / 13-29 year olds n= 1693, American youth 14-29, Ping US national survey, Fall 06

  40. so what does this mean?

  41. they ARE a different generation • Changing culture as we speak • Incredibly: • well-informed • connected • empowered • open to new ideas • open to creating new solutions

  42. In Control of Technology In Control of the Culture In Control as Consumers

  43. impact on human resources • You have to rethink the way you recruit and retain them…

  44. impact on IT studies and human resources • Are you even on their radar? • What is your presence in the secondary world? Is it stand-out or simply just there? • Are your PR or communication campaigns employing the right media mix? • Healthy mix of “mass” and “grass”

  45. impact on IT studies and human resources  What’s the perception of your industry? • Look to pop culture for cues • Since they have not developed transferable skills they will feel “stuck” in an industry • You need to show them the transferable skills learned as well as an identifiable path to internal advancement

  46. impact on IT studies and human resources  What’s the perception of your industry? • Think of your industry as a “brand”; young people sure do • Understand that corporate social responsibility is increasingly a key “brand” criteria (environment and working conditions)

  47. in fact… • In a recent survey of 1,393 Canadians (aged 13–29) Youthography found that when asked how long they intended to stay in their current jobs, more than 80 per centsaid they expected to be "outta here" within two years. • Only 4 per cent reported that they had no plans to leave their current employers.

  48. impact on IT studies and human resources  What will help to make them stay? • Flexibility • Skills development (over security) • Fair compensation • Fun atmosphere • Incentives / benefits (that fit their world) • Respect

  49. impact on IT studies and human resources  Skills development is HUGE! • Want a diversity of experiences; focusing on stability but increasing emphasis on new skills, new knowledge • Expect to be working at a whole range of jobs • Many have aspirations for owning own business (a good third want that right away!)

  50. Young Canadians, Technology and the IT IndustryA Topline Review Presented to: CIPS / Microsoft Presented by: Carolyn Peters Quantitative Supervisor, Youthography May 2007

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