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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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WHAT MAKES A MILLENNIAL?in our humble opinion…

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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 info@thesoundhq.com 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

SLIDE SITE

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11https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iOda8KVo21s/hqdefault.jpg?custom=true&w=196&h=110&stc=true&jpg444=true&jpgq=90&sp=68&sigh=JMVYeyRPXgsLx3HJShXGZmV6tS8 http://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/topics/Tech-2_8.jpg

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19 http://aldianews.com/sites/default/files/2102264370_8a33f17644_o.jpg