Dan Pankraz, Planning Director/Youth Strategist, DDB Sydney, speaking at Nielsen’s inaugural Consumer 360 Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia recently coined the phrase Generation C. What he’s referring to is socially connected people, and he believes they’re a vital target for any marketers.
Gen C are teens and 20-somethings that have been ‘hatched out of social media. What C stands for has been widely debated. A few years ago it was about Generation Content now it s about a multitude of things; constant connectivity, collaboration, change, co-creation, chameleons, cyborgs, curiosity. But most of all, Gen C is the Connected Collective consumer, said Pankraz.
Here are the things described as being important to Gen C:
- Tribal behavior: Like many youths, Gen C form their identities by belonging and expressing themselves within tribes reflecting the desire to connect around interesting ideas, cultural objects, causes and movements. Brands need to get into conversations that are happening within and across tribes. This will give their messages more credibility and attention compared to external sources.
- Social status derived by what you share: Gen C gains credibility in their friends worlds by expressing opinions, sharing ideas, observations and thoughts. Their influence depends on what they share and how often they share it.
- Bee-like swarm behavior: Powered by social media platforms, Gen C members mobilize as one with their tribes like bees around topics that interest them. When it comes to buying decisions, 85 percent of youths rely on peer approvals. Everything is reviewed and rated, making decision-making a team sport. Marketers must talk to we, not me. Marketing successfully becomes all about talking to the community, not the individual , and creating a conversation for the swarm to run with.
- Social oxygen: Gen C thrives on constant connectivity via social media platforms. Mobile devices have become social oxygen , enabling them to connect, create and share opinions and thoughts with their tribes. The mobile phone acts as a lifeline to the world, connecting not only with people they want to talk with, but also shielding them from those they do not.
- Continuous partial attention: Teens today consume 13 hours of content daily and have constant exposure to new news. As experts at managing content and information, they engage in never-ending conversations, constantly livestreaming their experiences to the world.
- Chameleons: Gen C consumers are chameleons, constantly changing and morphing their identities to simultaneously belong to as many different tribes as possible. One-dimensionality is not an option for Gen C.
- Co-creators: The social web has brought out Gen C’s creativity, leading to what Mr. Pankraz calls the democratization of creativity . They no longer consume ideas, but actively participate, play and collaborate. They demand to be part of the brand story.
Source: blog.nielsen.com