The Millennial Generation
Passing through the Eye of the Storm
What comes next?
Paul Flatters
Chief Executive
Introducing Trajectory
• We are experts in analysing and forecasting social and
consumer trends
• We help our clients understand how their consumers and
markets are changing their behaviour – and how they can
benefit from that change
• Our partners have a track record of providing strategic
advice to major blue chip clients stretching back more than
25 years
• We are working with clients headquartered in several different
countries looking at consumer trends across the globe
Trajectory Clients
Trajectory Global Foresight – our subscription service
Guiding you through the key issues shaping consumer behaviour
What makes TGF different?
Insight into the values and attitudes that inform our behaviour
Cultural, emotional and social drivers of change
The Millennial generation
Born between 1981 – 2000?
The first generation to come of age in the 21st Century
Digital Natives
Perhaps the most talked about generation in history
Echo
Boomers
The
iGeneration
The Millennial generation
Some key themes
Tech savvy, web focused
Mobile and social hyper-connectivity
Collaborative, consensual, non-hierarchical
Diverse, socially and sexually progressive
Privileged and sheltered – entitled
Trusting, tolerant, educated
Expressive, opinionated, impulsive
Ethical, environmental, globally aware
Ambitious, idealistic, hard-working
Affluent, economically powerful
Highly retail focused, considered research
Impatient, Instanity, The Microwave Generation
Evolving (two-way) relationship with brands
The Millennial generation
Born between 1981 – 2000?
But the narrative has shifted considerably
The Jilted
Generation
Generation
Screwed
The Lost
Generation
The
Basement
Generation
The Millennial generation
Understanding the economic context
Requires a multi-dimensional approach
Two speed (global)
economy
The three dimensions
of personal finance
Consumer and
business confidence
The Millennial generation
Technology repertoire
A generation defined by consumer technologies?
The Millennial generation
Media consumption requires insight and segmentation…
A fragmented blend of traditional and new media brands and channels
Audience Insight critical to shaping strategy
The Millennial generation
…which should inform our understanding of the shopper journey
The Millennial generation
…and therefore our communications strategy
Messages
Experiences
Conversations
The Millennial generation
Understanding the economic context
The Millennial generation
Understanding the economic context
The Millennial generation
Passing through the ‘Eye of the Storm’
The Millennial generation
Conspicuous consumption is changing
Earn
Discern
Flair
Care
Thoughtless Spendthrifts
‘In the know’
Wealth
Health
The Millennial generation
Overall consumption is changing
cocooning
DIY
free fun
selfishly green alternative economy
smart shopping
breaks on buying
anxious
losing luxury
The Millennial generation
Barriers to eCommerce still exist
UK
Use-ability
problems
Privacy
concerns
Source: Trajectory Global Foresight 2011/12
Germany
Privacy
concerns
Use-ability
problems
The Millennial generation
The heart of the future
The Millennial generation
So what does come next?
The Harry Potter Generation?
Internet
Pioneers
N-Gen (Net
Generation)
Plurals
Homelanders
The Millennial generation
So what does come next?
Greater risk aversion, education, employment, retail
More mobile computing everywhere (all the time)
Considered, social, inclusive, expressive “recessionistas”….
Continued focus on and trust in consumer technologies
Instanity everywhere – rental gratification
Changing brand relationships – consumption, creation, control
Increasing focus on exclusivity and personalisation (with data)
Continuing ethical, environmental and global awareness
100% digital natives – at ‘home’ with digital (lost without)
Enhanced critique of ‘establishment’ narratives, hierarchies and assumptions
The Millennial generation
What comes next for the retail sector?
The consumer as brand champion, shopper as affiliate
Retail as theatre – digital, high street and mall as (social) experience
Seamless cross channel and platform integration
Total transparency – price, production, process
Flexible, opportunistic, engaging placement and process
Enhanced social sophistication – more data, greater insight, better targeting
Mobile central to customer relationship management
Greater role for partnerships and collaboration – between and within sectors
Packaging the product - training, education and information
Continued focus on sustainability agenda, going green, buying local
The Millennial generation
What comes next for the travel sector?
The Millennial generation
Inter-generational conclusions
Too early speak of a new generation – circa 2020 for their
coming of age (but we like the Harry Potter moniker)
The current cohort (coming of age) are better understood as
late millennials – with hyper-connectivity a key differentiator
Their personal futures will depend in large part on the economic
fortunes of Europe with their longer-term attitudes and values
influenced by their experience of today’s economic turmoil
We can be sure that ‘mobile’ will be at the heart of their lives,
with consumer technologies a key focus and retail a pivotal
means of self-expression
The retail experience will continue to blend the high street, mall
and digital with retailers continually challenged to deliver the most
consistent and compelling multi-channel experience
The Millennial generation
Macro-economic conclusions
Too early to anticipate a return to long term average levels of
economic growth in the European Union
Too simple to assume a universal ‘recession’ – requires work to
understand where new market opportunities lie
Accelerated business investment in data and analytics capacity
required across the European Union
The focus on emerging markets for new trade opportunities will
transform key employment sectors
The employer and employee relationship will continue to evolve
as work and life boundaries continue to blur and individuals
adopt a portfolio approach to education and employment
Continued growth of micro-businesses and entrepreneurialism
across sectors – technology enabled, market led.
Paul Flatters, Chief Executive
paul@trajectorypartnership.com
Thank you
Please do keep in touch
TrajectoryTweet
The Future of
Mobile Advertising
Paul Flatters, Chief Executive
paul@trajectorypartnership.com
0207 9021171
www.trajectorypartnership.com