CENTENNIALS
©
Quick
Facts
What’s
Changing
What’s in a
Name?
Formative
Events
Youth
TRU-isms
Now What?
Brands &
Marketing
Quotes
of Note
Other
Resources
Download
in One
2014
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1
CENTENNIALS
Quick
Facts
An assortment
of facts and
figures providing
a quick view
of Centennials
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Born in or after 1997; the oldest Centennials are 17 in 2014
23% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau)
52% Non-Hispanic White; 24% Hispanic; 14% African American; 5% Asian American (U.S.
Census Bureau)
Centennials’ parents comprise both Xers and Millennials equally (42% for each; Boomers
account for the remaining 14%)
63% own smartphones; 48% own tablets; just 22% own basic cellphones (TRU Youth
MONITOR Consumers & Consumers 2014)
64% consider themselves “savers” rather than “spenders” (TRU Youth MONITOR Consumers &
Consumers 2014)
©
2014

82% report their fathers are employed full-time
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49% report their mothers are employed full-time
47% live in the suburbs (TRU Youth MONITOR Perceptions & Priorities 2014)
85% are single; 8% are seeing someone casually; 6% are seeing someone seriously
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CENTENNIALS
VIGILANT OUTLOOK,
TEMPERED EXPECTATIONS
LESS SELF-ABSORBED,
MORE SELF-ASSURED
What’s
Changing
Shifting
dynamics that
businesses and
brands must
understand and
address in
reaching
Centennials
©
2014
3
CENTENNIALS
BACK
VIGILANT OUTLOOK, TEMPERED EXPECTATIONS: Born in a time of trials and
traumas, Centennials’ parents have begun to shift from the Millennial-era emphasis
on self-esteem and self-expression to a focus on resilience and integrity. This group
plans for the future and tends to avoid frivolity and unnecessary risk.
What’s
Changing
Shifting
dynamics that
businesses and
brands must
understand and
address in
reaching
Centennials
©
2014
30%
of Centennials agree:
“I like to do things
considered risky or
dangerous” (versus
44% of Millennials in
2004)
60%
of Centennials would
rather have the
guarantee they would
never become poor
rather than the
possibility they might
become rich
4
CENTENNIALS
BACK
LESS SELF-ABSORBED, MORE SELF-ASSURED: Millennials were taught to
value communication, cooperation and collaboration. As young people, they tended
to aim for alignment with their peers, showcasing individual strengths as a way to
stand out slightly from the crowd. Centennials’ world has always been fragmented,
and they feel less compelled to conform.
What’s
Changing
Shifting
dynamics that
businesses and
brands must
understand and
address in
reaching
Centennials
4%
62%
Make fun of them
behind their back
49%
Make fun of them to
4%
their face
Assume they're being
22% fashionable/trendy
Ask where they
22% purchased clothes
Compliment them
2000
29%
Say or do nothing
Reactions to peers’ “different” or
“unusual” clothes (12-17s)
65%
2014
I care a lot whether my
clothes are in style
(among 12-15s)
(2013 TRU Youth MONITOR)
©
2014
5
CENTENNIALS
What’s in a
Name?
We expect Centennials will be a generation smaller in scope than their
Millennial predecessors. The Millennial cohort was a demographically
large generation that came of age at the turn of the millennium. Young
Millennials’ formative years were a time of plenty. The Centennial
cohort—a product of falling birth rates—was born near the turn of the
century and is intimately familiar with scarcity. If Millennials were taught
to dream big, Centennials are learning to buckle down and work on the
things they can control.
LOWER BIRTH RATES
GROUNDED EXPECTATIONS
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
©
2014
6
CENTENNIALS
BACK
LOWER BIRTH RATES:
• The Xer generation’s birth rate bottomed out in 1975 when the U.S. birth rate hit
14.6 per 1,000 population. (U.S. Census Bureau)
What’s in a
Name?
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
•
At the Millennial generation’s peak in 1990, the U.S. birth rate hit 16.7 per 1,000
population. (U.S. Census Bureau)
•
In 2002, five years into the Centennial generation, the U.S. birth rate fell to just
13.9 per 1,000 population. (U.S. Census Bureau)
25
Births per 1,000
20
19.4
16.7
14.6
15.6
15
1990
14.2
1975
13.9
2002
10
5
©
2014
1969
Gen X
1979
Millennials
1997
Centennials
7
CENTENNIALS
BACK
GROUNDED EXPECTATIONS:
What’s in a
Name?
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
As children, Millennials dreamed big dreams of wealth and fame. Early data
suggest Centennials are adopting a more tempered outlook and smaller, more
manageable expectations. Although Centennials will drive many of the changes we
see going forward in the new century, Centennials aren’t saddled with impossible
dreams.
Standard of living compared to
parents (among 12-15s)
2005
71%
2013
77%
59%
40%
19%
3%
Better
©
2014
About the same
2%
Worse
of Centennials agree:
“Always having new
stuff is overrated when
what I have already is
good enough”
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CENTENNIALS
Didn’t touch this section
Centennials as teens and Millennials as adults will share similar
challenges and opportunities; the difference will be the way each
cohort addresses them. Many of these differences trace back to
generation-specific formative experiences.
Formative
Events
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
©
2014
SOCIAL:
TECHNOLOGICAL:
NEAT vs. NUANCED
EXPLORATION vs. SECRECY
ECONOMIC:
POLITICAL:
ROBUST vs. AT RISK
RESOLUTION vs. REVOLUTION
9
CENTENNIALS
BACK
SOCIAL: NEAT vs. NUANCED
Formative
Events
For young Millennials, depictions of life were often pretty and polished. The
Babysitter’s Club books, Saved by the Bell and Clueless featured problems that
verged on trivial and were solved in due time. For Centennials raised on a diet of
Lemony Snicket, The Fosters and Hunger Games, life is nuanced and messy.
Centennials were never offered the false sense of security Millennials were; instead
they’ve seen the celebration of grit and resilience.
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
Millennial
pop culture
©
2014
Centennial
pop culture
10
CENTENNIALS
BACK
TECHNOLOGICAL: EXPLORATION vs. SECRECY
Formative
Events
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
Vigilance is second nature to Centennials, and it helps distinguish them from prior
cohorts. Centennials and their parents have learned from the mistakes of digital
pioneer Millennials—and so have brands. As a consequence, in addition to their
lifestage sensitivities, Centennials have developed workarounds and altered their
sharing practices to circumvent monitoring and show a healthy distrust of the
darker sides of digital life.
35%
Centennials (12-17)
©
2014
Very/somewhat
comfortable meeting
someone in real life
you only knew from
online
(2013 TRU Youth MONITOR)
52%
Millennials (18-29)
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CENTENNIALS
BACK
ECONOMIC: ROBUST vs. AT RISK
Formative
Events
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
In 2000, when many Millennials were 12 to 17 years old, the economy had enjoyed
a long period of expansion. Teens at the time had only ever known economic
plenty, and overworked parents often coped by over-scheduling their kids. Fourteen
years later, Centennials’ experiences reflect the opposite: time is relatively
plentiful—money, not so much.
Complaints about daily life:
(among 12-17s)
2000
2014
37%
26%
24%
17%
Not enough money
Not enough sleep
(2014 TRU Youth MONITOR)
©
2014
12
CENTENNIALS
BACK
POLITICAL: RESOLUTION vs. REVOLUTION
Millennials’ post-Cold War foreign relations, like their entertainment, seemed neat
and tidy, and the generation’s attention was largely focused inward.
Formative
Events
The Centennials have grown up with interminable ground wars and social upheaval
around the world. Frosty relations between Russia, China, and the West suggest a
future of instability and risk. Centennials seem surprisingly aware of the uncertainty
in the world around them, but they’re determined to persevere.
Values shaped
by shared
experiences in
Centennials’
formative years
©
2014
54%
86%
of Centennials agree: “I really like
to keep up with what’s going on in
the world
of Centennials agree : “I enjoy and
celebrate life despite its many
obstacles and challenges”
(Top 2 Box)
(Top 2 Box)
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CENTENNIALS
The journey from childhood to adulthood hinges on forging independence and
identity. The immense task takes place one step at a time. Using trial and error in
a series of interrelated experience areas, teens build their identities on a
foundation of personal growth, learning, and sharing. We call these areas “Youth
TRU-isms,” because although individual experiences may differ, the process is a
nearly universal one in the youth lifestage.
SELFDETERMINATION &
CONTROL
Youth
EXPERIMENTATION &
SENSATION-SEEKING
SELF-EXPRESSION &
STATUS-SEEKING
TRU-isms
Three universal
quests that define
the teen years
and the youth
lifestage.
©
2014
14
CENTENNIALS
BACK
SELF-DETERMINATION & CONTROL:
While Millennials were told they were each special in their own way and that their
futures were essentially assured, the younger cohort takes nothing for granted.
Centennials are already concerned that they are not adequately prepared for the
future. Centennials have adopted a level-headed consumption orientation.
Youth
TRU-isms
Three universal
quests that define
the teen years
and the youth
lifestage.
68%
©
2014
of Centennials say they worry
about not being prepared for the
future rather than saying they’re
too young to worry about it
15
CENTENNIALS
BACK
EXPERIMENTATION & SENSATION-SEEKING: Millennials’ formative years were
a time of relative prosperity; frivolity ruled the day and there seemed little reason
or motivation to take on adult responsibilities and concerns early. Centennials’
experiences thus far have been completely different. Even as teens, they have a
more sober relationship with the concept of “fun.”
Youth
Agree: “We’re about fun”
TRU-isms
Three
universal
quests that
define the
teen years
and the youth
lifestage.
(among 12-17s)
Agree: “I like to do things
that could be considered
risky or dangerous”
(among 12-17s)
44%
52%
30%
26%
2000
2004
2014
2014
(TRU Youth MONITOR)
©
2014
16
CENTENNIALS
BACK
SELF-EXPRESSION & STATUS-SEEKING: While Millennials pioneered the use
of social networks to amplify one’s personal brand, there’s less emphasis on “show”
and more on “tell” among Centennials. Millennials helped Facebook become the
ultimate see-and-be-seen platform and have remained steadily engaged despite
eroding privacy protections. Centennials are trading Facebook for smaller, more
private virtual ecosystems.
Youth
TRU-isms
Three
universal
quests that
define the
teen years
and the youth
lifestage.
Facebook as most-used social network to connect with friends
Facebook
Instagram
Vine
Snapchat
77%
52%
44%
31%
37%
26%
16%
9%
Centennials
Millennials
(TRU Youth MONITOR Consumers & Commerce 2014)
©
2014
17
CENTENNIALS
WHAT’S YOUR ISSUE?
Now
What?
A roadmap for
developing
strategies related
to Centennial
lifestyles
WHAT IS THE CENTENNIAL MINDSET?
WHAT DOES CENTENNIAL SELF-EXPRESSION LOOK LIKE?
WHAT CHALLENGES WILL CENTENNIALS POSE FOR ME?
©
2014
18
CENTENNIALS
BACK
What factors inform the Centennial
mindset?
Now
What?
A roadmap for
developing
strategies related
to Centennial
lifestyles
©
2014
1
2
3
LIFESTAGE
COHORT
MINDSET
Centennials are
comfortably
ensconced in the
youth lifestage—with
all its attendant
interests, wants, and
needs. They’re eager
to tackle the same
milestones and
quests that helped
shape prior
generations.
Still, how this cohort
interacts with these
new frontiers and
rites of passage has
much to do with the
world around them.
Their current
attitudes reflect a
more sober take on
fun and risk than
Millennials showed
at a similar age.
Look for Centennials
to temper youthful
exploration with
vigilance and
temperance. This
balance of marvel
and maturity could
result in a more
nuanced and
complex—and
trickier—target than
youth marketers are
used to.
19
CENTENNIALS
BACK
How are Centennials changing the
timeless youth need for self-expression?
Now
What?
A roadmap for
developing
strategies related
to Centennial
lifestyles
©
2014
1
2
3
COMFORT WITH
NON-CONFORMITY
CULTURALLY
INTELLIGENT
SELF-POSSESSED
Though Millennials
aren’t overly
preoccupied with
rigid conformity, they
still appreciate the
audience, attention
and acclaim they find
in broadcasting
themselves.
Centennials seem
less focused on selfpromotion and the
Facebook hive-mind.
Raised amid
unprecedented
diversity, Centennials
assume everyone
comes to the table
with different
strengths. As such,
they give wide
latitude for
differences in taste,
style, and ability.
They expect the
same courtesy.
Centennials are less
compelled than their
Millennial peers to
find a platform and
message that
reaches the largest
possible group. They
don’t need to spend
precious time
convincing people
they’re unique; they’d
prefer to speak their
mind and their truth.
20
CENTENNIALS
BACK
What does the generational shift mean for
the marketplace—and my brand?
Now
What?
A roadmap for
developing
strategies related
to Centennial
lifestyles
©
2014
1
2
EXPECT
EMBOLDENMENT
OPEN THEIR
PATH
Much of the exciting
technological
progress that mobilenative Centennials
see has come at a
cost to the traditional
market. If Millennials
were savvy
consumers expert at
working the system,
look for Centennials
to be bold consumers
ready to change it.
Millennials were
largely respectful of
institutions and the
marketplace, but
Centennials may be
less patient. An evergrowing number of
tools allow them to
create their own
workarounds if your
brand doesn’t spot
and eliminate friction
before they do.
3
INVITE THEM IN
Centennials may not
even give you a
warning sign before
they identify a
solution—potentially
one that doesn’t
involve you. Be ready
to give up some
control and work with
this generation to
drive your strategies
and tactics—or risk
them taking you out
of the equation.
21
CENTENNIALS
Android: Apple is still winning with Centennials, but Android’s new
campaign “Be Together. Not the Same” is custom-built for the
Centennial generation. The ad in question celebrates boldness,
personal bravery, and the power of millions all doing their own thing
together—all Centennial attributes. VIEW AD
Brands &
Marketing
Brands and
campaigns that
resonate with
the values and
lifestyles of
Centennials
Snapchat: Group-minded Millennials flocked to Facebook; it was a
virtual stage from which they could broadcast their lives for public
consumption and approval. Centennials, it seems, are looking for
smaller, more intimate virtual environments. Using Snapchat, they’re
able to communicate honestly and without much pretense to a
limited group of their own choosing. VIEW AD
Prudential Insurance: If Millennials often dreamed huge dreams
but lacked concrete plans to achieve them, Centennials seem willing
to down-shift their expectations and work out a strategy for success.
Prudential shows consumers how baby steps they take today can
add up over the long haul. VIEW AD
Modern Family: One of the ABC comedy’s youngest characters,
Manny Delgado, thrives in a rollicking polycultural family with poise
and maturity beyond his years. In true Centennial style, he’s less
frivolous and more industrious than youth stereotypes suggests he
should be, and he’s outgoing without any of the self-consciousness
so common to the youth lifestage. VIEW VIDEO
©
2014
22
CENTENNIALS
“[The Centennial generation] is innately liberal, overwhelmingly supporting gay marriage and transgender
rights, for instance. Fifty-five percent of teenagers surveyed believe anyone should have the right to
become a U.S. citizen regardless of how that person came to the U.S. And 64 percent say the U.S. gets
involved in too many wars. That may reflect youthful idealism—previous generations, too, have started out
as leftists and slid gradually toward the center—but [Centennials] may be different in being genuinely
bigotry-proof. It may be the first generation for which diversity is a natural concept that will not be ruined by
anything older people do or say.” (Will Gen Z Disconnect? Bloomberg)
“Although I do have a Facebook, none of my other friends do. My friends just thought it was a waste of
time. I decided to get a Facebook just to see what it was all about. I soon discovered that Facebook is
useless without friends. My only friend is, like, my grandma. Teens are followers. That’s just what we are. If
all my friends are getting this cool new thing called Snapchat, I want it, too! We want what’s trending, and if
Facebook isn’t trending, teens won’t care. In the end, Facebook has been trying too hard. Teens hate it
when people try too hard.” (I’m 13 and None of my Friends Use Facebook. Mashable)
Quotes
of Note
Useful snippets
of relevant
“Teens today might have a mixed reputation, but there’s no denying their influence. They command
content about
millions of fans on Twitter and Vine, start companies with funds they raised on Kickstarter, steal scenes on
Centennials to
TV’s most popular shows, lead protests with global ramifications, and even win Nobel Peace Prizes.” (The 25
add color to these Most Influential Teens of 2014. Time)
insights
“Centennials are growing up with a less idealistic and more pragmatic edge. They’re facing situations that
the Millennials didn’t have to deal with until early adulthood, and as a result, Centennials are growing up
more savvy, in graver times when everybody doesn’t win and when choices are limited and success is
harder to come by.” (Erik Medina, Head of the TRU Youth MONITOR, The Futures Company)
©
2014
23
CENTENNIALS
Other
Resources
Links to additional
content on
Centennials
TRU Youth
MONITOR
The preeminent
youth syndicatedresearch offering
fully connects
clients to U.S.
teens and twentysomethings
Learn More
©
2014
MONITOR Download
 Download on Millennials
MONITOR LIVE Spotlights
 November 2014: The Millennials Have
Left the Building: Introducing a New
Generation of Youth
MONITOR Minute
 Growing Up Gritty
 Meet the Mamaculturals
Other Sources
 Report Says YouTube Overtakes Facebook Among Teens, Mashable
 Will Generation Z Disconnect? Bloomberg
 Millennials Are Old News—Here’s Everything You Should Know About
Generation Z. Business Insider
 Will Generation Z Disconnect? Bloomberg
 Gen Z Has Grand Ambitions for Homeownership. Entrepreneur
 Quiz: Me and Gen Z. Marketplace
 Portrait of Generation Z. Northeastern University
 Survey Finds Generation Z To Be Motivated Lot. Boston Globe
 Will Gen Z Be The Startup Generation That Never Retires? Upstart
Business Journal
24
CENTENNIALS
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in One
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©
2014
CLICK HERE to access the
Interactive Download on Centennials
All data are from the
2014 TRU Youth MONITOR, unless
otherwise noted
25