Derek E. Baird :: Barking Robot

Trend Watch: Gen Y Affluents

Digital media is trouncing traditional channels with Gen Y, the largest U.S. consumer group. Deft marketers are recognizing the value of investing in their own sites, social media platforms, and mobile apps.

“It’s the ‘end of the beginning’ of a dramatic shift in ad-spending from traditional formats to digital. Power will shift as brands cultivate authentic relationships via social media, creating cohorts whose size dwarfs media brands’ subscriber bases.” ~L2 Founder and NYU Professor Scott Galloway

L2 surveyed nearly 1000 high-achieving and high-earning Gen Y adults for this study. Refined to a panel of 535, on average this sample set is on a trajectory to earn more than $80,000 in the short-term and double their income within the next five years.

Gen Y Affluents: Media Survey

KEY FINDINGS:

• Facebook, hands down: 81 percent of millennial use Facebook every day—nearly twice as many as watch TV or read newspaper content.

• Blogs scale the gates of the fourth estate: 45 percent read blogs every day, as many as those reading newspaper content.

• News brands thrive—it’s paper that’s dying: Nearly half read a newspaper every day, but 79 percent access that content digitally on a daily basis.

• Digital killed the TV set: 42 percent watch TV shows online; 27 percent watch movies online.

• The upwardly mobile go mobile: 25 percent use mobile to access social media, and one in eight watched a video on mobile in the past 24 hours.

• Digital branding is paramount: 63 percent use social media to engage with brands, and more than 50 percent say that Facebook, blogs, and brand videos affect their opinions about products.

• Websites are flagships, too: Websites are as influential as physical stores in shaping Gen Y sentiment, second only to friends’ opinions.

Boomers, Millennials & Gen X: We All Want to Be Young [VIDEO]

via vimeo.com

The movie "We All Want to Be Young" is the outcome of several studies developed by BOX1824 in the past 5 years. BOX1824 is a Brazilian research company specialized in behavioral sciences and consumer trends.

Some of the key generational characteristics (or insights) showcased in the film include:

• the sense of global, personal connection and collective consciousness enabled by the internet (and information age);

• a generalized sense of anxiety brought on by access to an overwhelming amount of information – and the need to stay connected across networks;

• use of hyperbolic language in self-expression, arguably to avoid getting ‘lost’ amidst this information overload;

• blurred definitions and categorizations of self (think designer-slash-DJ-slash copywriter-slash blogger);

• transience in short-term relationships;

• balancing work & pleasure by seeking out pleasure in short, pre-programmed breaks – this generation is used to having access to things that give them immediate pleasure.

Related: Watch 'We All Want to Be Young" in Spanish

Game Changers: Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg [VIDEO]

A new original documentary series, Bloomberg Game Changers gives viewers a compelling look into today's most influential leaders in technology, finance, politics and culture.

In this episode Bloomberg Game Changers follows the career of Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive officer of Facebook Inc. and one of the world’s youngest billionaires.

 

This program features interviews with Tyler Winklevoss, Cameron Winklevoss and Divya Narendra, who accused Zuckerberg of stealing their idea for the social-networking website, Yuri Milner, chief executive officer of Digital Sky Technologies, Michael Wolf, former president and chief operating officer of Viacom Inc.’s MTV Networks, and David Kirkpatrick, author of “The Facebook Effect."

Trend Watch: Vinyl Records Back in Vogue Among Teens

Yes, like cropped tops and high-waisted Levis, vinyl records are making a comeback.

Why, when we have such lightweight, simple technology at the tip of our fingers, are teenagers fascinated by these oversized, nearly obsolete discs?

Perhaps it is the fact that most of us, used to having all our music stored in iPods that fit in the palm of our hands, completely missed out on the tangibility of records.

Even “vintage” music is becoming popular again. Shows such as “Glee,” in which the characters perform songs from every genre and era, are drumming up interest by teenagers in songs from America’s yesterdays

In this digital age kids are growing up in, songs skip around and change with the simple click of a button. Young people never physically see the music playing, and it doesn’t matter, so long as they hear what they want. But, there is a certain wonder to watching a record spin on a turntable and maneuvering the long, fragile needle.

Another possibility, of course, is that today’s teens are in awe of the amazing art displayed on the album covers. Sure, CD cases show interesting pictures, and occasionally album covers are displayed on iTunes, but there seems to be no comparison to looking at a 12-by-12 picture that adds a certain depth to the music.

Read more over on www.buffalonews.com

Trend Watch: U.S. Hispanic and Latin American Digital Youth Trends

 

• A 2008 report by the Pew Hispanic Center forecast that "the Latino population, already the nation's largest minority group, will triple in size and will account for most of the nation's population growth from 2005 through 2050. Hispanics will make up 29% of the U.S. population in 2050, compared with 14% in 2005";

• According to Internet World Stats, Latin America (28%) has the highest rate of Internet penetration. The world average is 23.5%;

• The most wired Latin American countries are Brazil (67%), Mexico (23%) and Argentina (20%);

Hispanic Youth Marketing

View more presentations from Sensis.

• Research conducted by U.S.-based Bromley Communications finds that the Hispanic Latina is quickly replacing Anglo moms as the dominant consumer target from now to 2050;

• Hispanic trends firm Packaged Facts reports that Gen-Y Hispanics (ages 18-29) Gen-X Hispanics (ages 30-44) are particularly influential, because they control more than 60% of all Hispanic buying power;

• U.S. Hispanic mobile consumers have a subscriber growth rate two to three times that of the overall U.S. teen market;

• Hispanic teens aged 12-17 represent 2.5 million subscribers. By the age of 15, penetration of wireless services among US Hispanic teens is 64% - by the age of 17, the penetration rate rises to 78%;

• According to Politico.com, in the 2008 election 76% of young Hispanic voters preferred Obama, compared to 67% of the overall Hispanic vote. That marks a 14-point rise in young Hispanic support for the Democratic candidate since the previous election, and a 10-point improvement with the Hispanic population overall.

Related Resources

• Demographic Research on U.S. Hispanic Youth & Mobile Phones
• Latin American Internet Population Stats
• McD's, Pepsi Score Best with Young Hispanics
• Hispanic teens set for strong mobile growth
• Exploring the Dora Uproar
• Hip Chicas Launches Beta for Latina Virtual World

Mr. President, sign my iPad

At a rally in Seattle on Thursday, Sylvester Cann decided, like many, to ask the president for his signature. Unlike hundreds of other clamoring supporters, Cann asked President Obama to go digital.

He asked him to sign his iPad. Using the Adobe Ideas app, Cann scrawled "Mr. President, sign my iPad" onto his screen.

Obama obliged.

Check out the YouTube video of the electronic signing.

via latimesblogs.latimes.com

"It Gets Better Project" Delivers Digital Hope and Shows the Power of Social Media

“It gets better… It gets so much better… I promise, it gets so much better.”

These are the promises of participants in the It Gets Better Project, founded by advice columnist Dan Savage. In September 2010, following a rash of suicides by gay teens bullied by their peers, Savage created a YouTube channel to offer hope to those in similar situations.

The goal was to showcase the positive and fulfilling lives led by Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer adults, and to give LGBTQ young people something to hold on to when they saw only misery in their futures. Savage encouraged adult members of the queer community to upload their own videos describing how life “got better” for them after high school.

The response was enormous. Savage received 3,000 emails about the project in its first 24 hours. Over 200 videos were uploaded in the first week, and the limit of 650 videos for a single YouTube channel was reached a week after that. Savage set up a website to help direct users to the many new videos being uploaded every day to other channels.

Hollywood stepped in as well, with videos uploaded by celebrities such as Tim Gunn (Project Runway), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) and President Barack Obama. 

Though the star power helped bring visibility to the campaign, Savage emphasized a focus on average, everyday LGBTQ adults. He wanted to show kids that you don’t have to be rich and famous to be happy and find love, whatever form of love that may be.

"It Gets Better" is a good message for all bullied teenagers, no matter the reason for being bullied.

Online buzz spiked when news of American Idol contestant Adam Lambert’s contribution to the project hit Twitter. A GLAAD campaign to “wear purple”on October 20 to raise awareness of anti-gay bullying gained traction on Facebook and Twitter.  

Some participants even reported wearing purple despite not knowing the reason why – they simply saw it in their feeds and wanted to fit in with their friends (who quickly told them about the campaign).  

The power of social media over behavior can be staggering.

via www.nmincite.com

Study: Millennial Moms Prefer Digital Communication

Mothers of all ages are ahead of the curve when it comes to internet and digital usage. eMarketer estimates 90.3% of women in the US with children under 18 in the house are online, compared with 76.3% of all adult females.

Moms' penchant for social networking and other social media usage—such as maintaining and reading blogs—is also well known.

Research from WhyMomsRule indicates that the youngest moms in particular have now moved more than half of their family communications outside the realm of face-to-face talking.

Gen Y moms polled said they conducted an average of 48% of communication with their immediate family in person. Talking on the phone was second, followed by texting.

Taken together, Gen Y moms used email or Facebook for 17% of all immediate-family communications—especially notable considering immediate family was defined as people living in the same household.

via www.emarketer.com

Infographic: The Life Of A College Student Is Pretty Awesome

View the Bureau of Labor Statistics "Back to College" report | image via www.huffingtonpost.com

'X the TXT' Program Hits the Road with the Jonas Brothers

Allstate's "X the TXT" pro-social initiative is partnering with the Jonas Brothers' "Road Dogs" softball tour to raise teen awareness about the danger of texting while driving and to encourage young people and their families to pledge not to text and drive.

"Road Dogs" started when the Jonas Brothers played recreational softball games while on tour in 2009. The games became very popular with fans after one of the brothers mentioned the games on a social networking site.

Texting is one of the most dangerous distractions facing drivers today, particularly among teens, of which car crashes are the number one killer.

According to a recent Allstate Foundation study, 49 percent of driving teens admit to being extremely distracted by texting and instant messaging while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports driver distraction contributes to 25 percent of all police-reported traffic crashes.

The Jonas Brothers' "Road Dogs" softball tour provides platform for growing teen movement against texting while driving.

This year, the Jonas Brothers will be playing seven innings of softball at minor league stadiums throughout the country. At each venue, they will be working with Allstate to educate fans about the dangers of texting and driving.

 

During the game, fans can join the Jonas Brothers in pledging not to text and drive by adding their thumbprint – the symbol of their pledge – to a banner that will be traveling with the "Road Dogs" tour. Participants will receive "TXTNG KLLS" thumb bands to wear as a reminder of their commitment.

Related Resources

• Connect with 'X the TXT' on Facebook
• Join Oprah's 'No Phone Zone' Movement
• Get the 'No Phone Zone' Lesson Plan

ABC Introduces Social TV iPad App for "My Generation"

As more and more people get iPads and other multiplatform devices that allow them to sit on the couch and socialize with friends while watching their favorite TV shows, traditional broadcast media outlets are looking for new and interesting ways to connect viewers to their programming and make it a more social experience.

Earlier today, Disney/ABC Television Group and The Nielsen Company announced the debut of ABC’s first-of-its-kind “My Generation” Sync iPad App that is designed to enhance the experience of watching ABC’s new show, “My Generation.”

Completely free to download and use, this innovative app makes watching “My Generation,” which premieres next Thursday, September 23rd at 8pm ET/PT on ABC an interactive experience.  

The “My Generation” Sync app provides exclusive content and social media functionality on the iPad in real time as viewers watch the show – whether they watch it live or on DVR.

 

Using Nielson’s Media-Sync Platform and audio watermarks, the app automatically synchronizes with the television show and allows viewers to unlock content such as polls, trivia, behind-the-scenes info and more.

As we look to the future of TV, consumers can expect more interactivity, personalization and portability that allow viewers to easily consume TV entertainment on devices other than the glowing box in their living room.

For younger viewers, television is a much more interesting and socially interactive experience when they can watch a show and discuss it in real time online with their friends. So it makes sense that ABC is looking at this trend and created this iPad app to provide younger viewers with a social tv experience.

The app also allows users to interact with other viewers through their various social networks as they watch the show. The app is free and available to download in the App Store on iPad.

Indie Film: MTV Introduces Gen Y to 'The World of Jenks'

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live someone else’s life? Find out when MTV introduces viewers to “The World of Jenks,” the brainchild of award-winning documentary filmmaker Andrew Jenks.

This new MTV docu-series follows Jenks as he shadows a complete stranger in each episode – exploring their lives, interacting with their family, hanging with their friends and living life through their eyes.

World of Jenks - MTV Shows

 

Whether he is on the road with rapper Maino, spending time behind bars at a juvenile detention center or living on the streets with a homeless teen, Andrew Jenks keeps the cameras rolling every hour, every day. “The World of Jenks” premieres on MTV this summer.

Throughout the series, Andrew’s experiences continuously change how he perceives and interacts with the environment around him.  For every new journey, Jenks brings the audience closer to understanding someone else’s reality.

Connect with Andrew Jenks

• Follow Andrew Jenks on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook

CollegeOnly: A Parent Free, Exclusive Social Network for Students

Remember when Facebook was only for college kids? CollegeOnly is a return to those simple, pastoral days — with a whole lot more tech.

If you have a university e-mail address (.edu), you can join the site, where everyone in a school is instantly connected — no friending required (you can block people, though).

Currently there are three schools on the site — Princeton, Yale and Cornell — but it plans to expand.

Users can create profiles where they can include info like what dorm they live in, activities they’re into as well as their classes. They can also upload multiple profile pictures, as well as snaps from Facebook.

CollegeOnly emphasizes that these pictures will only be visible to those on the site, keeping them away from the prying eyes of parents, school administrators and future employers.

A savvy student would be wise to remember that privacy on the web, regardless of the marketing claims, is largely an illusion.

So bottom line: don't post anything online that you don't want to be seen in public.

via mashable.com

Membership is restricted to students with verified college e-mail addresses. CollegeOnly is “connecting student bodies” by allowing our members to see and share what’s going on on campus, chat with schoolmates or other collegiates, and have a protected online social identity.

In addition to our unique spin on current content and social sites, our site is the only one that is free from parents, potential employers, and other folks that shouldn’t see what you are up to on a Saturday night or at any given point during the day. Whether it is campus news and events or funny links, random chatter, and crazy photos -- all of your education and procrastination needs can be found in one convenient place.

It’s time to party, are you ready?

Nielsen: African-Americans, Women and Southerners Talk and Text The Most in the U.S.

Think you can guess which Americans talk or text the most on their mobile phones?

American kids under 18 send and receive roughly 2,800 texts per month, according to Nielsen, or about 93 per day. (Assuming 7 hours of sleep per night, on average, that's about 5.5 per hour spent awake, or one every 10 minutes or so.) In the next two age brackets, text-message usage falls by more than half each.

 

African-Americans and Hispanics Text the Most

According to Nielsen, African-Americans use the most voice minutes – on average more than 1,300 a month. Hispanics are the next most talkative group, chatting an average of 826 minutes a month. Even Asians/Pacific Islanders, with 692 average monthly minutes, talk more than Whites, who use roughly 647 voice minutes a month.

Hispanics send and receive around 767 SMS messages a month while African-Americans send and receive around 780 – significantly more than Asians/Pacific Islanders (384 texts a month) and Whites (566 texts a month).

The voice and text results are compiled from one year (April 2009-March 2010) of mobile usage data gathered by the The Nielsen Company, which analyzes the cellphone bills of more than 60,000 mobile subscribers each month in the United States.

Women Have Their Say

And if you think women in the U.S. talk more than men on their cellphones, Nielsen data confirms your suspicion. On average, women talk 22 % more than men (856.3 minutes a month compared to men’s 666.7).

Turns out, American women are more communicative in general on mobile devices; they text more, too, sending or receiving an average of 601 SMS messages a month compared to the 447 monthly text messages sent or received by the average American male.

Teens Rule for Texting

Not surprisingly, teens text the most, sending or receiving an amazing 2,779 SMS messages a month. In the next two age brackets, text usage falls by more than half each time, with those aged 18-24 sending or receiving 1,299 messages and those aged 25-34 exchanging an average of 592 messages.

While the text usage varies greatly between those 18-24 and those 25-34, their voice usage is quite close (981 voice minutes for 18-24 and 952 minutes a month for those 25-34 years old.)

The South Speaks Up

Location plays into usage patterns as well. Southerners are the most talkative, but while Florida ranks high in terms of monthly voice minutes used, it ranks very low for text messaging (the state has one of the highest median ages and older Americans text the least.) Mississippi, interestingly enough, ranks high for both talking and texting.

via blog.nielsen.com

Related: Mobile Web Key to Continued Growth at Facebook

Trend Watch: Universal Pictures Adds 'i-Trailer' For Teen Movie Push

Universal Pictures launched an i-Trailer on August 4 to promote Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, debuting the marketing tool on the Yahoo! Movie site. The movie studio partnered with Mark Woollen and Associates to create it.

The i-Trailer has the look and feel of an 8-bit videogame and leads consumers who opt-in to comprehensive information about the film.

Individuals can control the path they go on as they discover facts and information about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Examples of featured information are where a scene was shot, what the music cue was and how a particular scene in the movie relates to the graphic novel.

The goal is to better engage Universal Pictures' target audience for the film, 13 to 34 year olds, in a one-on-one experience. After its debut on Yahoo! Movies, Universal also made the trailer available on the film's official site.

via www.dmnews.com