YoungAdultsRevealed:Thelivesandmotivationsof21stcenturyyouth

MicrosoftAdvertisingandSynovate

Explodingdigitalmarketing’syouthmyths

YoungAdultsRevealedisagroundbreakingnewstudythathastorpedoedmanyofthemythssurroundingyoungadultsanduncoveredathoughtful,complexgenerationconcernedaboveallwiththeirstabilityandsecurity.Indoingso,ithascalledintoquestionmanyoftheassumptionsthathavegovernedyouth-focusedmarketingsolutionsoverthepastdecade.Thein-depthinternationalstudyfromresearchagencySynovate’sOnePointNinedivisionrevealsagenerationthatshunsmanyoftherevolutionaryidealsofbabyboomers,andyoungpeoplewhoresembletheirgrandparentsfarmorecloselythantheydotheirparents.DevelopedinassociationwithMicrosoft,thestudyusesanonlinepanelofover12,00018to24-year-oldrespondentsdrawnfrom26countriesworldwide.Youthexpertsandsociologistsinthedifferentcountries

areusedtoprovideperspectiveandcommentaryonthendings.

Listeningtomusic?I’dratherspendtimewithmyfamily

Pragmaticratherthanhedonisticorrebellious,theyoungadultsemergingfromthestudyseemreluctanttoleavethesecurityofthefamilyhomeandkeentocreatetheirownstableenvironmentassoonaspossibleafterdoingso.Theyidentifyfamilyasthesinglemostimportantthingintheirlives,followedbygirlfriendsand

boyfriends.Friends,frequentlyassumedtobethemostimportantingredientofafun-lledyounglife,only

comeinthird.Spendingtimewiththefamilywaspreferredtolisteningtomusicasanactivity.Youngpeople’sdevotiontofamilyshouldn’tbeconfusedwithanabdicationofpersonalresponsibility–oranassumptionthatmumanddadwillbailthemout.Gettingagoodcareerandgettingagoodeducationtopyoungadults’listofconcerns.Theseconservativetendencieshavehugeimplicationsforthechannelsusedtotargetmarketingsolutionsattheyoung,andthetypeofproductandbrandmessagestheyarelikelytorespondto.

Theearlyadoptermyth

Farfromthefad-driven,‘earlyadopters’ofmarketingmyth,youngadultsseemfarmorepragmaticintheirattitudetowardstechnology:keentoacquirenewdeviceswithprovenuseandvaluebutalwayswaryofmissingoutonlaterpricefalls.Socialnetworkingsites,farfromerodingtraditionalemotionalties,areusedfor

specicformsofcommunicationwithotherchannelsmaintainingmoreintimatebonds;youngadultsarevery

capableofdistinguishingbetweendifferentformsoffriendship.Encouraginglyformarketers,youngadultsrevealanengagedandinterestedattitudetobrands.Theyseethemselvesaspotentialexpertskeentoshareopinionsandinformationonlineandawareoftheirpotential

toinuenceothers.Overaquarterhadtalkedaboutbrandsinforumsandasimilarpercentageaddedbrand-

relatedcontenttoInstantMessengerorsocialnetworkingsites.

76%

ThenumberofYoungAdultresponsesidentifyingfamilyasthemostimportantthingintheirlives.

Webholdsthekeytoengagingyoungadultswithbrands

Theinternetrepresentsatremendousopportunityforbrandslookingtoengagewithyoungadults,thestudyrevealed.However,tosucceedinengagingwiththisgeneration,marketerswillhavetoabandonseveraloftheirpreconceptionsaboutyouthaudiences.Interestinandengagementwithbrandsandproductsemergesasaconstantthemeintheresearch.Brandedandproduct-relatedcontentwasclicked-on,viewed,soughtout,uploadedandcommentedonat

regularintervals,andemergesasakeyelementinyoungadultlives,bothonandofine.

Anappetiteforbrandengagement

Overathirdofyoungadultswatchonlineadvertisingormarketingclips,withasimilarproportionwatchingclipsdemonstratingorreviewingproducts.Productinformationandlinksarefrequentlyforwardedby76percentofrespondents,whilstjustunderaquarter(24percent)regularlyuploadadvertisingorproductreviewclipstosocialnetworkingandvideosites.

Thisappetiteforbrandengagementisfurtherreectedinyoungadults’declaredresponserates

toonlineadvertising:47percenthadclickedonanonlineadwithinthelastmonthwhilst42percenthadwatchedanadplayingbeforevideocontent.

Youngadults’condenceinthevalueoftheiropinionsandtheirabilitytoinuenceothersemergesas

akeycharacteristicthroughoutthestudy,anditisapparentintheirbrand-relatedbehaviour.Overaquarter(28percent)hadtalkedaboutaproductorbrandinaforumduringthepastmonth.Almosthalf(49percent)hadreviewedaproductonline.

regularlyforwardproductinformationandlinks

76%