I like thinking about the future. From my articles on the future of branding to the future of content (casual plug there), I try to make sure I am clued into what is happening next.
“But, Why?” I hear you ask, my astute reader…..
Well, because in this fast-paced society of ours, the only way to prevent yourself from being left behind is to stay ahead of the curve. And this is particularly the case in the world of marketing. In a space where you are trying to connect suppliers and their consumers, having a robust knowledge of current and future needs is a sure fire recipe for some cracking and compelling marketing. So in this week’s blog, I would like to focus on Generation K, the next big movement – named for Katniss Everdeen of that little-known book and movie series – The Hunger Games.
Generation K is the combined product of a phenomenal amount of research and the fantastic mind of Noreena Hertz. An academic who last year released a report on the habits and trends of American and Brits born between 1995 and 2002. Now, we don’t need a survey, even my rather basic mathematics skills will do, to tell us that Generation K is currently aged between 14-21. They are also the first generation to have grown up completely immersed in smart phones, technology et al (at the grand old age of 24 I am old enough to remember dial up internet as well as the ever glorious Nokia 3310).
However, beyond these basic observations Hertz’s survey offers a far more comprehensive understanding of generation K who believe “that the world they inhabit is one of perpetual struggle – dystopian, unequal and harsh.” This rather bleak quote is, sadly, unsurprising as Generation K believe they will leave school to find an unfriendly world where they will struggle to find a job and see more inequality than ever before. Sadly, I suspect they are right.
And don’t even get me started on the worrying state of our finances – find me one of my peers who is able to buy a house in London, unaided and well…. I’ll be pretty darn shocked. And as if that wasn’t enough, Generation K are blinking terrified of terrorism, with 70% saying they are worried about it – quite possibly the natural result of the first generation who cannot remember a time before 9/11? But, they’re not just scared of terrorists – only around 1 in 10 say they trust the government (I think we can safely assume that the recent American election helped cement this statistic) whilst only around 6% trust big corporations, compared to 60% of adults.
All this paints a pretty bleak picture. However, I was taught to look on the bright side of life and it’s not all bad – thankfully! Whilst the world around them falls apart, generation K are doing their utmost to put it back together – probably all those #inspirational Instagram posts. Generation K is far more generous and creative with 92% of them believing it’s important to help others, whilst many more seek to invent and create. Essentially, what they want above all else is to have an authentic and meaningful impact upon the world. Whether that’s through buying from a company with a positive global impact – i.e. one who donates money to charity. Or engaging with a brand that includes them in the purchasing process i.e a company that allows you to design your own iPhone cases. And even if you can’t fulfil one of those two demands, every single business is going to need to work on authenticity, and the ways in which they use marketing to create an honest and open dialogue with our customers. This will surely be the only way to engage and entice this far smarter and more astute generation.
If you have any other burning questions about content marketing or just fancy a chat over a Chai Tea feel free to give me a call on 07826 857 882 or drop me a line on Helena@helenabaker.com and for some more of my marvellous musings feel free to check out my website – www.helenabaker.com