What You Need to Know…

Helping to Connect with Students or

Generation What ?

USPS Educational DepartmentAnnual Meeting Jacksonville FL

2014

Is this the typical face of a USPS member?

Generation What ?

Or are these ??

The times they are a- changin’

Even Bob Dylan looks different now than when he recorded the song

We need to recognize the changes

GenerationsWho are they ?

Baby Boomers

Generation X

Generation Y, Echo Boomers or Millenials

Generation Z

Generation What ?

The 4 generations include individuals with:

Different Values

Different Ideas

Different Ways of Getting Things Done

Different Ways of Communicating

Why is this important ?

Baby Boomers

Born: 1946-1965Age 2014: 49-68Current population: 77 millionWitnessed & ushered social changeCollege Graduates 29 % Married 67%Homeowners 80%Support adult children 59%Work past retirement Only 11% plan to totally retire

Boomers

Major Influences• Suburbia• TV• Vietnam, Watergate• Protests: Civil Rights

and Women’s movements

• Drugs, Sex & Rock ‘n Roll

Characteristics• Idealistic

• Competitive

• Question Authority

OptimistSlogan: “Live to Work”

Generation X

Born 1966-1976Age 2014: 38-48Current population: 41 millionExposed to daycare ; latchkey kids ; children of divorce Skepticism – “what’s in it for me?”Lowest voting participation of any generation Educated – 29% Bachelor’s Degree or higherPragmatic

Generation X

Major Influences• Sesame Street, MTV• Game Boy• PC /Mac• Divorce rate tripled• Latch-key children• Left alone

Characteristics• Eclectic• Resourceful• Self-reliant• Distrustful of

institutions• Highly adaptive to

change & technology

Skeptic

Slogan: “Work to Live”

Generation Y

Born 1977-1994Age 2014:20-32Current population : 71 millionSophisticatedTechnology wiseImmune to most traditional marketing pitchesRacially and ethnically diverseLess brand loyal Dual income or single parent families1 in 9 has credit card co-signed by parentShort attention spans

Generation Y

Major Influences• Expanded technology• Natural disasters• Violence; gangs• Diversity• Coddled by parents

Characteristics• Globally concerned• Realistic• Cyber-savvy• Suffer “ADD”• “Remote control kids”

RealistSlogan: “It’s all about me”

Generation Z

Born 1995-2012Age 2014:10-19Current population : 23 million and growingDiverse environment High technology useAll born after the advent of the internetFuture ??

The End of Membership As We Know It By Sarah Sladek

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Generation What ?

• we cannot simply accept what has been done before and carry on hoping for the best

• societal changes:• volatile economics,• demographic shifts,• rapidly changing technologies

• Four Critical First Steps: One• Focus on real benefits (remember technology)

members joined because of our ability to provide boating benefits,

or said another way,members joined because USPS

fulfilled an expectation providing them something valuable

members renew memberships when benefits meet expectations

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• Four Critical First Steps: Two• Identify needs to develop better benefits,

recognize changing membership needs

provide value to your members in the way they want to access it now

member marketing plans are very important

• please remember that word of mouth remains effective but not as effective as …

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• Four Critical First Steps: Three• The Importance of Marketing

focus on our customers/memberstarget their needs (ASK WHAT THEY

ARE!)make our products or services more

widely knowndifferentiate the real value of USPS!

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• Four Critical First Steps: Four• Innovation is a must

“The world we've made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking.”

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Generation What ?

Even though we are not marketers…

Marketing and promotion are integral to our continued success and must work in a coordinated fashion with course and seminar development to ensure we provide the right course or seminar to the appropriate group and location

Gen X is on the cusp of supplanting Boomers- in the workforce- is the target market for our new members- primary focus

Gen Y longer range plans once Gen X addressed- they are impatient and do not want to wait-start thinking now

USPS needs to - recognize and understand this societal evolution- act to take advantage of the opportunities- modify and develop programs that meet the needs of Gen X,Y and other key demographic groups: women & Latinos

Generation What ?

Exercise: (5 minutes) Pick one current course and discuss how to tailor it to accommodate the particular characteristics of the target audience – Gen X, Gen Y,Women , Latinos

Generation What ?

Generation What?

Group Discussion • Course structure• Delivery Modalities• Duration• Evaluation/Assessment • Other ?

GenX GenY Women Latinos

Exercise: